Which characteristic of metallic bonding is most directly responsible for the…
CHEMISTRY · Single correct · A Level · Chemistry · Bonding · Bonding
Problem
Which characteristic of metallic bonding is most directly responsible for the malleability of metals such as copper?
(a) Metals are held together primarily by weak London dispersion forces, so layers can slide without the bonds breaking.
(b) The close-packed arrangement of metal atoms leaves empty spaces that allow planes of atoms to shift easily.
(c) Positive metal cores are embedded in a mobile 'sea' of delocalized electrons that can redistribute when planes of atoms move.
(d) Metals contain highly directional covalent bonds between atoms that bend rather than break when stress is applied.