Showing posts with label Metallic crystals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metallic crystals. Show all posts

Sunday, 28 April 2013

1.47 explain the electrical conductivity and malleability of a metal in terms of its structure and bonding.

Metals have delocalised electrons, electrons carry electricity; so because there are free electrons charge can pass easily through a metal.

The structure of a metal is with rows of atoms on top of one another, in pure metals as all the atoms will be the same size, the layers can slide easily over one another making them easy to bend.

1.46 understand that a metal can be described as a giant structure of positive ions surrounded by a sea of delocalised electrons

In a metal atoms come together into a lattice, the electrons become detached from their atoms- delocalised- making the atoms positive ions.