Which statement best explains why metals are ductile and malleable?

• A. Metals have weak van der Waals forces between atoms, allowing them to be easily shaped.
• B. Metals have a lattice of positive ions surrounded by a sea of delocalized electrons, allowing layers to slide over each other without breaking bonds.
• C. Metals are composed of rigid ionic lattices that prevent deformation.
• D. Metals consist of molecules held together by strong covalent bonds, making them flexible.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the key properties of metals: ductility (ability to be drawn into wires) and malleability (ability to be hammered or rolled into sheets).
2. Recall the metallic bonding model, where metals consist of a lattice of positive ions surrounded by a 'sea' of delocalized electrons.
3. Recognize that this 'sea of electrons' allows metal ions to slide past each other when force is applied without breaking the metallic bonds.
4. Contrast this with other types of bonding: van der Waals forces are weak but not characteristic of metals; ionic lattices are rigid and brittle; covalent bonds form molecules rather than metallic lattices.
5. Conclude that the presence of delocalized electrons in a metallic lattice explains why metals are ductile and malleable, as layers of atoms can move without bond breakage.