Metallic Bond

Properties of Metals

  • good conductors of heat and electricity,
  • ductile (can be made into wires),
  • malleable (can be bent into shape) and
  • shiny when polished.

Metallic bond is the electrostatic attraction between the lattice of positive metal ions and the 'sea' of delocalized electrons. In metallic bond, electrons are being transferred and only metals are included.

Alloys

  • Alloys are homogeneous mixtures composed of two or more metals or a metal and a non-metal. 
  • Alloys have different properties to the metals that they are made from.  For example, they are often stronger and more resistant to corrosion than their component elements. This is because different sizes of atoms in an alloy. The addition of different sized atoms in the alloy means that the layers cannot slide over each other as easily. This results in the alloy being harder than its component metals.