Which of the following statements about chemical bonds is true?

• A. Metallic bonds involve a 'sea' of delocalized electrons shared among metal atoms.
• B. Hydrogen bonds are stronger than covalent bonds.
• C. Ionic bonds are formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms.
• D. Covalent bonds involve the transfer of electrons from one atom to another.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the nature of metallic bonds. Metallic bonds occur between metal atoms where electrons are not localized between two atoms but are free to move throughout the metal lattice, often described as a 'sea' of delocalized electrons. This allows metals to conduct electricity and be malleable.
2. Step 2: Review hydrogen bonds. Hydrogen bonds are a type of intermolecular force, generally weaker than covalent bonds, which are intramolecular bonds involving the sharing of electrons between atoms within a molecule.
3. Step 3: Examine ionic bonds. Ionic bonds are formed by the transfer of electrons from one atom (usually a metal) to another (usually a nonmetal), resulting in positively and negatively charged ions that attract each other, not by sharing electrons.
4. Step 4: Analyze covalent bonds. Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electron pairs between atoms to achieve stable electron configurations, rather than transferring electrons.
5. Step 5: Compare all statements to identify the true one. The statement about metallic bonds involving a 'sea' of delocalized electrons is accurate, while the others misrepresent the nature of hydrogen, ionic, and covalent bonds.