Why Metals Conduct Electricity
[caption id="attachment_19272" align="alignright" width="480"] High Voltage Lines.[/caption] Elements are divided into metals, metalloids, and non-metals. Copper is a metal. Sulfur is a non-metal. Antimony is a metalloid. Why do metals conduct electricity? What makes them special? It involves electron mobility—their ability to move about. Individual Atoms and Diatomic Molecules Atoms have a positive nucleus encased by negative orbiting electrons. Atoms of a single substance either stand alone or bind together in small groups only. Helium (He) is monatomic. Hydrogen (H₂) is diatomic. Ionic and Covalent Crystalline Solids Some solids may form crystals. The atoms are packed close together. There are three crystal types. Ionic, covalent, metallic. Ionic crystals conduct some electricity. They are not as conductive as metals because their bonds are local. Their crystals are rigid. They fracture. They…