Which of the following statements about atoms of a metal is correct? They

A.

readily accept electrons

B.

are soft

C.

are held together by covalent bond

D.

are held together by a sea of electron cloud

Correct answer is D

Metals are effectively lots of positively charged ions with a cloud/sea of delocalised electrons. This means the electrons are free to move throughout the metal, and is also why metals can conduct electricity as the electrons can move. The more delocalised electrons a metal has, the stronger it will be held together.