Metals are malleable and ductile because
- A. their atoms are held in rigid directional covalent bonds
- B. they contain no free electrons
- C. layers of positive ions can slide over one another while the sea of delocalised electrons holds them together
- D. their ions are held by hydrogen bonds
Explanation
Metallic bonding is non directional, so displacing one layer of cations does not break the structure because the delocalised electrons continue to bind whatever arrangement results. An ionic crystal shatters instead, because sliding brings like charges opposite each other and the layers repel. The same free electrons account for electrical and thermal conductivity.
Related questions
Ionic crystals such as sodium chloride are hard and have high melting points because
Molecular crystals such as solid iodine have low melting points because
Which of the following is a covalent network solid?
Which of the following solids is held together by dispersion forces only?
Solid sodium chloride does not conduct electricity, but molten sodium chloride does, because