Metallic bonds as found in metals
Metallic bond is formed by atoms in metals packing electrons close together. This bond involves the delocalization of electrons among a network of metal atoms, leading to properties such as electrical conductivity and malleability.
Only metal elements can form metallic bonds. Metallic bonding occurs when the outer electrons in metal atoms are delocalized and free to move throughout the material, creating a sea of electrons that hold the metal atoms together.
Metal atoms lose electrons to form positively charged ions, which are then attracted to negatively charged non-metal ions. This attraction leads to the formation of an ionic bond, holding the compound together.
When forming compounds, metal atoms usually donate some of their electrons to atoms of more electronegative elements to form compounds with ionic bonds. some metals can share electrons with other elements to form at least partially covalently bonded compounds. In elemental form, metal atoms share their electrons in what is called a "sea of electrons" that extends throughout the volume of a piece of elemental metal.
When a metal reacts with a non-metal, the electrons move from the metal to the non-metal. This is because the metal can achieve valence when it loses the electrons in its outer shell. The non-metal can also achieve full valence by gaining the electron in its outer shell.
Metal atoms pool their valence electrons to form a sea of delocalized electrons in a metallic bond. This results in unique properties such as conductivity and malleability.
Metallic bonding - the metal atoms share their valence, or "outer" electrons. The electrons of many nuclei situate themselves between positively charged nuclei. Two or more nuclei are then attracted to the same valence electrons, causing them to "stick together" as a solid piece of metal.
Two or more atoms that get together and share electrons form a chemical bond.
In a covalent bond, the electrons can be defined by the atoms they are shared between; specific atoms are bound to specific others. In metallic bonding, the nuclei "float" in a sea of electrons. the electrons here are shared by the mass as a whole, with no nuclei being bound to any specific other nuclei and no electrons bound to any particular atoms.
Shared electrons are associated with covalent bonds, where atoms share electrons to form a stable bond by completing their outer electron shells. Metallic bonds involve a different mechanism where electrons are delocalized among a lattice of metal atoms, creating a "sea of electrons" that holds the metal ions together.
Ionic bonds are formed when metal atoms combine with nonmetal atoms. Metal atoms tend to lose electrons to form positive ions, while nonmetal atoms tend to gain electrons to form negative ions, resulting in the attraction between the oppositely charged ions forming the ionic bond.
Copper and gold can form a metallic bond due to their metallic properties. In a metallic bond, electrons are shared and mobile among all the metal atoms, creating a sea of delocalized electrons that hold the atoms together.