One of the common attributes of metals is that they have only one to three electrons in their outer orbital (valence electrons). When there are only one, two or three valence electrons, the attraction to the nucleus is rather weak. This weak attraction allows the electrons to “wander” around the atoms of a metal. This sea of delocalized electrons and the attraction to all of the positive ions is the metallic bond which holds the entire metal structure together.
The link below demonstrates how the protons form a metallic bond with the sea of delocalized electrons. Follow the link and click on the “play” button on the navigational bar in the lower right.
Watch the video below for more details on metallic bonds.
