Metallic bond
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Metallic bonding is the bonding between atoms within metals. It involves the sharing of free electrons among a lattice of metal atoms. Metallic bonds may be compared to molten salts.
The electrons and the positive ions in the metal have a strong attractive force between them. Therefore metals often have high melting or boiling points. The principle is similar to that of ionic bonds.
The metallic bond accounts for many physical characteristics of metals, such as strength, malleability, ductility, conduction of heat and electricity, and lustre.
Because the electrons move independently of the positive ions in a sea of negative charge, the metal gains some electrical conductivity. It allows the energy to pass quickly through the electrons generating a current. Heat conduction works on the same principle - the free electrons can transfer the energy at a faster rate than other substances such as those which are covalently bonded, as these have their electrons fixed into position. There also are few non-metals which conduct electricity: graphite (because, like metals, they have free electrons), and molten and aqueous ionic compounds which have free moving ions. [1] [2] [3]
Metal atoms have at least one valence electron which they do not share with neighboring atoms, and they do not lose electrons to form ions. Instead the outer energy levels of the metal atoms overlap. They are similar to covalent bonds. [4]
