| metallic bond The chemical bonding that holds the atoms of a metal together. Metallic bonds are formed from the attraction between mobile electrons and fixed, positively charged metallic atoms. Whereas most chemical bonds are localized between specific neighboring atoms, metallic bonds extend over the entire molecular structure. |
force that holds atoms together in a metallic substance. Such a solid consists of closely packed atoms. In most cases, the outermost electron shell of each of the metal atoms overlaps with a large number of neighbouring atoms. As a consequence, the valence electrons continually move from one atom to another and are not associated with any specific pair of atoms. In short, the valence electrons in metals, unlike those in covalently bonded substances, are nonlocalized, capable of wandering relatively freely throughout the entire crystal. The atoms that the electrons leave behind become positive ions, and the interaction between such ions and valence electrons gives rise to the cohesive or binding force that holds the metallic crystal together.