Home Preparation for National Talent Search Examination (NTSE)/ Olympiad
Chapter : 3. Chemical Reactions
Bonding in Metals
As you know, metals are hard solids and they are made up of atoms. It has been established that the atoms in a metal are very closely packed together. The force that holds the atoms closely together in a metal is known as the metallic bond. Metal atoms lose one, two or three electrons to form positively charged ions, called cations. The electrons thus lost move freely in the metal, i.e., these electrons become mobile, but the cations do not leave their positions. So in a metal lattice it is assumed that the metal ions are immersed in a sea of electrons. Due to the presence of mobile electrons, metals are good conductors of heat and electricity.