Which bond type involves a delocalized electron sea and yields good electrical conductivity and malleability?

• A. Ionic bonds involve electron sharing; good conductivity at room temperature.
• B. Metallic bonds involve a delocalized electron sea; good electrical conductivity and malleability.
• C. Covalent bonds involve a delocalized electron sea; malleability.
• D. Hydrogen bonds involve electron transfer; malleability.

Answer: (B)

Metallic bonding is characterized by a lattice of positive metal ions in a delocalized electron sea. Those freely moving electrons carry charge in any direction, so metals conduct electricity well in the solid state. That same electron cloud also lets layers of atoms slide past one another without breaking the bonds, giving metals their malleability.

Other bonds don’t feature this electron sea. Ionic bonds trap electrons transfers between atoms, creating a rigid, brittle lattice that doesn’t bend or conduct as a solid (it conducts only when melted or dissolved). Covalent bonds involve electrons shared between specific atoms, leading to localized bonds and typically non-malleable, insulating networks. Hydrogen bonds are weak intermolecular attractions and don’t produce good electrical conductivity or malleability.