A compound that has a sea of delocalized electrons exhibits which type of chemical bonding?

• A. Covalent bonding
• B. Hydrogen bonding
• C. Ionic bonding
• D. Metallic bonding

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of a "sea of delocalized electrons": this refers to electrons that are not bound to any specific atom but move freely throughout the structure.
2. Recall that metallic bonding is characterized by a lattice of metal cations surrounded by a sea of delocalized valence electrons, which allows metals to conduct electricity and be malleable.
3. Compare this to covalent bonding, where electrons are shared between specific atoms, forming localized bonds.
4. Recognize that hydrogen bonding is a type of intermolecular force involving hydrogen atoms bonded to electronegative atoms, not a type of chemical bonding involving delocalized electrons.
5. Note that ionic bonding involves the electrostatic attraction between positively and negatively charged ions, with electrons transferred rather than delocalized.