Question

How is metallic bonding described?

Answer 1

`"Positive ions in a sea of electrons"` is the common description.

Explanation:

And in a metallic lattice, EACH metal atom contributes one or two or more valence electrons to the ENTIRE lattice ... with the result that the now positive metallic ions are attracted to the electron sea. And of course these metallic ions can move with respect to each other WITHOUT disrupting the cohesive force offered by the metallic bond, i.e. attraction of the metallic cations to the electron sea.

Metals are thus typically `"(i) malleable,"` they can be hammered out into a sheet, even a sheet that is only a few atoms thick; `"(ii) ductile,"` they can be drawn into a wire; and `"(iii) conductive to heat,"` and sometimes `"(iv) conductive to electricity."` That electrons are delocalized over the entire metallic lattice is conceived to be the underlying reason for these properties.

See this old answer for more of the same.

Typically, we do not consider metals in the liquid phase under normal conditions, but the Periodic Table possesses only the six elements that are liquid under normal conditions, and five of them, `Hg`, and (barely!) `"caesium"`, `"francium"`, `"gallium"`, and `"rubidium"`... are metals.....which is the 6th room temperature elemental liquid that is NOT a metal?