Metals tend to form bonds primarily through metallic bonding, but they can also participate in ionic and covalent bonding under certain conditions. Here’s a brief overview of each type of bonding relevant to metals:
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Metallic Bonding:
- In metallic bonding, metal atoms lose their outermost electrons, which are then free to move throughout a lattice of positively charged metal ions. This "sea of electrons" allows metals to conduct electricity and heat, and it gives metals their characteristic properties such as malleability and ductility.
- The metal ions are held together by the electrostatic forces of attraction between the positively charged ions and the delocalized electrons.
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Ionic Bonding:
- Metals can form ionic bonds when they react with nonmetals. In this process, metal atoms lose electrons to become positively charged ions (cations), while nonmetal atoms gain those electrons to become negatively charged ions (anions).
- The electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged ions forms ionic compounds. This type of bonding is common in metal-nonmetal compounds, such as sodium chloride (NaCl).
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Covalent Bonding:
- Although less common, certain metals can form covalent bonds in specific compounds, typically with nonmetals or metalloids. In covalent bonding, atoms share pairs of electrons. Some transition metals, for instance, can form complex molecules where they share electrons with ligands.
Overall, while the most characteristic mode of bonding for metals is metallic bonding, they can form ionic and covalent bonds depending on their interaction with other elements.