NSCI 1322 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Molecular Orbital Theory, Electronic Band Structure, Voltage Source
12 Jan 2017
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A (cid:448)ery si(cid:373)ple pi(cid:272)ture of a (cid:373)etal depi(cid:272)ts a(cid:374) array of positi(cid:448)e io(cid:374)s surrou(cid:374)ded (cid:271)y a (cid:862)sea(cid:863) of valence electrons free to move over the entire metal crystal. When the metal is connected to a source of electric current, the electrons easily move away from the negative side of the electric source and toward the positive side, forming an electric current in the metal. In other words, the metal is a conductor of electric current because of the mobility of the valence electrons. A metal is also a good heat conductor because the mobile electrons can carry additional kinetic energy across the metal. The electron-sea model of metals is a simplified view that accounts in only a qualitative way for properties of a metal such as electrical conductivity. Molecular orbital theory gives a more detailed picture of the bonding in a metal and other solids as well.
