In metallic bonding, the "sea of electrons" contributes to which of the following properties?

In metallic bonding, the "sea of electrons" refers to the delocalized electrons that are free to move around within a lattice of metal cations. This unique arrangement contributes significantly to the properties of metals.

High melting points are a result of the strong forces of attraction between the positively charged metal ions and the delocalized electrons. These metallic bonds are generally quite strong, requiring a considerable amount of energy to break them apart, which translates to high melting points. As these metallic bonds hold the lattice structure of the metal together, a higher temperature is necessary to provide the energy needed for the ions to overcome this attractive force and move freely, transitioning from solid to liquid.

In contrast, while a metallic structure can influence density, insulation, and malleability, these aspects do not arise from the sea of electrons in the same way that high melting points do. Metals typically have high densities due to closely packed metal ions, metals are good conductors due to their free electrons rather than insulators, and malleability is a property that results from the ability of metal atoms to shift in position without breaking bonds, which indicates that metals can actually be quite malleable rather than exhibiting low malleability. Thus, the strong metallic bonds originating from the