As an expert in the field of materials science, I can tell you that the ability of metallic substances to conduct electricity is a fundamental property that arises from their unique atomic structure. Metals are composed of atoms arranged in a crystal lattice, with a sea of delocalized electrons surrounding the positively charged atomic cores. These delocalized electrons are the key to understanding why metals are such excellent conductors of electricity.

Let's delve deeper into the atomic structure of metals. In a metal, the outermost electrons of the atoms are not tightly bound to their parent atoms. Instead, they are free to move throughout the entire structure of the metal. This is due to the nature of metallic bonding, which is characterized by the sharing of these valence electrons among all the atoms in the lattice. This sharing creates a "sea" or "cloud" of electrons that are not associated with any particular atom but are instead free to move throughout the material.

When an electric field is applied to a metal, these free electrons are influenced by the field and begin to move in the direction opposite to the field. This movement of electrons constitutes an electric current. Because the electrons are not bound to specific atoms, they can move relatively easily, which is why metals have low electrical resistivity and are such good conductors.

Moreover, the movement of electrons in metals is facilitated by the regular, repeating arrangement of atoms in the crystal lattice. This regularity means that there are fewer obstacles for the electrons to encounter as they move, which further enhances the conductivity of the metal.

It's also worth noting that the conductivity of metals can be influenced by factors such as temperature and impurities. As temperature increases, the movement of atoms in the lattice can cause more scattering of the electrons, which can slightly reduce conductivity. Similarly, impurities in the metal can disrupt the regular lattice structure and impede the flow of electrons.

In summary, the high electrical conductivity of metals is due to the presence of a large number of free electrons that are able to move easily throughout the metal's crystal lattice. This movement of electrons in response to an electric field is what allows metals to conduct electricity so effectively.

read more >>

Metal is shiny because it reflects incoming light photons. It is malleable because the structure and uniform bonding in all directions of the metal allow the atoms to slide past each other without breaking. Metal conducts electricity well because all of the mobile electrons are free to move towards any attraction.read more >>