Metallic Bond
Metallic bonding constitutes the electrostatic attractive forces between the delocalized electrons, called conduction electrons, gathered in an electron cloud, and the positively charged metal ions. Understood as the sharing of "free" electrons among a lattice of positively charged ions (cations), metallic bonding is sometimes compared with that of molten salts; however, this simplistic view holds true for very few metals. In a more quantum-mechanical view, the conduction electrons divide their density equally over all atoms that function as neutral (non-charged) entities. Metallic bonding accounts for many physical properties of metals, such as strength, malleability, ductility, thermal and electrical conductivity, opacity, and luster.
Although the term "metallic bond" is often used in contrast to the term "covalent bond", it is preferable to use the term metallic bonding, because this type of bonding is collective in nature and a single "metallic bond" does not exist. Not all metals exhibit metallic bonding: one such example is the mercurous ion (Hg2+
2), which forms covalent metal-metal bonds.
Read more about Metallic Bond: History, The Nature of Metallic Bonding, Metallic Radius, Strength of The Bond, Solubility and Compound Formation, Localization and Clustering: From Bonding To Bonds, Optical Properties
Famous quotes containing the words metallic and/or bond:
“Foster the labor of our country by an undeviating metallic currency ... always recollecting that if labor is depressed neither commerce nor manufactures can flourish, as they are both based upon the production of labor, produced from the earth, or the mineral world.”
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)
“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
—Bible: New Testament, Ephesians 4:1-3.