Final answer:
When a solid aluminum can is heated, its atoms vibrate more vigorously and can transition to a liquid phase, where they move past each other. This is due to increased kinetic energy overcoming attractive forces in the metallic bonding that holds atoms in a lattice.
Step-by-step explanation:
The atoms of a solid aluminum can vibrate in a rigid structure. When an aluminum can is warmed up on a hot plate, the energy in the form of heat causes these atoms to acquire more energy. As a result, they vibrate more vigorously and can overcome some of the attractive forces holding them in a fixed position. The solid eventually transitions to a liquid phase, where atoms move past each other, still close but without a rigid structure.
Metallic solids like aluminum have a specific structure characterized by a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a "sea" of delocalized electrons. Metallic bonding is responsible for many of the properties of metals, including high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. However, with malleability, they do not shatter and thus make useful construction materials.
As temperature increases, the lattice structure of a metallic solid like aluminum can become less rigid due to the increased kinetic energy of the atoms. This is why heating metallic solids leads to changes in their physical properties, such as making them more malleable or eventually causing them to melt, depending on the heat applied and the metal's melting point.