What are metals?
24% of our planet’s mass is metal. They are used as mainly because of their properties; metals are strong, ductile, have high melting points and are excellent conductors of electricity. Other properties of metals are given below:
• Can be made stronger by alloys and heat treatment.
• Easily machined.
• Most of them are heavy.
• Susceptible to corrosion.
Metals can be divided into two; Ferrous and Non-ferrous.
Ferrous metals
Ferrous metals are those which contain iron and small amount of other elements. Normally, most of them are magnetic. They are more susceptible to rusting when exposed to moist weather conditions. Some ferrous metals are: 1. Mild Steel. 2. Stainless …show more content…
Ionic Bonding
It is a chemical bond that bonds a metal to a non-metal by means of electrostatic attraction between the ions. They have high melting points and are strong. It is also known as electrovalent bond. An ionic compound is formed from a metallic cation and a non-metallic anion. They are held by opposite charges and the bond is formed by the transfer of electrons. Normally, ionic solids are brittle. The bonding of sodium and chlorine is shown below. Metallic Bonding
The bonding of metal to metal atoms is called metallic bonding. It occurs between two or more metal cations. In fact, metal atom will lose valence electrons when forming compounds. Every metal atoms share their electrons with the others, therefore producing a mobile electron cloud. Valence electrons are that can participate in a bonding. Crystals are held by electrostatic attraction between the negative and positive ions. The loose movement of electrons is responsible for thermal and electrical conductivity. As they carry charges from place to place. As metallic bond are very strong, considerable energy is required to break it. This accounts for the high melting points of metals. Below is shown a picture of free electrons in a metal