Final answer:
The electron sea model describes metallic bonding by depicting valence electrons as delocalized across metal atoms, forming an electron sea that allows for conductivity and other metal properties. Electrons are not fixed or confined to specific atoms; instead, they can move freely, contributing to the metal's flexibility and characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The electron sea model is a concept used to describe metallic bonding in which the valence electrons are not associated with any single atom or bond. This model imagines the metal atoms being immersed in a sea of valence electrons that are delocalized across the entire structure.
According to the electron sea model, electrons are C. Delocalized and free to move throughout the metal's structure. These electrons allow metals to conduct electricity and heat efficiently and give metals a range of physical properties, such as malleability and ductility. In metallic crystals, the bonding is due to the attraction between positive ions (the metal atoms that have lost their valence electrons) and the sea of mobile electrons around them.
In contrast to ionic or covalent bonds, metallic bonds are relatively weaker, with dissociation energies ranging from 1 to 3 eV. Nonetheless, this doesn't prevent metals from having key characteristics such as high melting points and hardness, which depend on the number of delocalized valence electrons creating the metallic bond.