A piece of gold can be hammered into extremely thin sheets without cracking
CHEMISTRY · Single correct · A Level · Chemistry · Bonding · Bonding
Problem
A piece of gold can be hammered into extremely thin sheets without cracking. Which of the following explanations is most consistent with this observation?
(a) Directional covalent bonds between gold atoms allow layers to separate without breaking.
(b) Because metallic bonding is relatively weak compared with covalent bonding, layers of gold atoms can slide past each other easily.
(c) Delocalized electrons in gold can redistribute as layers of cations slide, preventing strong repulsive forces.
(d) Gold atoms are held together only by weak dispersion forces, so they can easily move past one another.