The electrons in the outer shell of the metal atoms are delocalised
There are strong forces of electrostatic attraction between the positive metal ions and the shared negative electrons
These forces of attraction hold the atoms together in a regular structure and are known as metallic bonding
Metallic bonding is very strong
Substances that are held together by metallic bonding include metallic elements and alloys
It’s the delocalised electrons in the metallic bonds which produce all the properties of metals
Most metals are solid at room temperature
The electrostatic forces between the metal atoms and the delocalised sea of electrons are very strong, so need lots of energy to be broken
This means that most compounds with metallic bonds have very high melting and boiling points, so they’re generally solid at room temperature
Metals are good conductors of electricity and heat
The delocalised electrons carry electrical current and thermal energy through the whole structure, so metals are good conductors of electricity and heat
Most metals are malleable
The layers of atoms in a metal can slide over each other, making metals malleable, this means that they can be bent or hammered or rolled into flat sheets
Alloys are harder than pure metals
Pure metals often aren’t quite right for certain jobs, they’re often too soft when they’re pure so are mixed with other metals to make them harder
Most of the metals we use everyday are alloys, a mixture of two or more metals or a metal and another element
Alloys are harder and so more useful than pure metals
Different elements have different sized atoms, so when another elements is mixed with a pure metal, the new metal will distort the layers of metal atoms, making it more difficult for them to slide over each other