Which of the following best describes what holds a metallic bond together?

• A. Transfer of electrons from one atom to another forming oppositely charged ions
• B. Hydrogen bonding between metal atoms
• C. Electrostatic attraction between positive metal ions and a sea of delocalized electrons
• D. Sharing of electron pairs between two nonmetal atoms

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a metallic bond is a type of chemical bond found in metals, where atoms release some of their electrons to form a 'sea' of delocalized electrons.
2. Recognize that in metallic bonding, metal atoms become positive ions (cations) because they lose electrons, but these electrons are not localized to any one atom; instead, they move freely throughout the metal lattice.
3. Identify that the force holding the metal atoms together is the electrostatic attraction between the positively charged metal ions and the negatively charged sea of delocalized electrons.
4. Compare this to other types of bonding: ionic bonding involves transfer of electrons forming ions, covalent bonding involves sharing electron pairs between atoms, and hydrogen bonding is a special dipole-dipole interaction, none of which describe metallic bonding accurately.
5. Conclude that the best description of metallic bonding is the electrostatic attraction between positive metal ions and a sea of delocalized electrons.