Lesson: Metallic Bonding Chemistry

Students will be able to

• describe how metals form giant lattice structures arranged in layers of regular patterns,
• describe the bonding in metals as a structure of positive ions surrounded by a sea of delocalized valence electrons,
• explain the term delocalized as referring to free electrons that can move around the metal lattice,
• describe how electrostatic interactions between the positive ions and delocalized valence electrons give rise to metallic bonding,
• describe how metallic bonding is responsible for the properties of metals, such as having high melting points and being malleable, ductile, and good conductors of heat and electricity,
• briefly explain what an alloy is (alloys are covered in a separate lesson).