Asked by julie

In a piece of metal, what holds the atoms together?
the positive charges of the nuclei and the localized electrons around them
the negative charges of the nuclei and the localized electrons around them
the positive charges of the nuclei and the negative charges of delocalized electrons
the negative charges of the nuclei and the positive charges of delocalized electrons

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
"The positive charges of the nuclei and the negative charges of delocalized electrons."

Explanation: in a metal the atoms lose valence electrons to form positive ions (nuclei + core electrons) embedded in a "sea" of delocalized valence electrons. The electrostatic attraction between these positive ions and the delocalized negative electrons is the metallic bond that holds the metal together.