Metallic Bonding Allows Layer Sliding in Aluminum

Steps:

• Identify malleability as the ability of a metal to deform under pressure without breaking.
• Recall that aluminum is a metal with metallic bonding, featuring positive ions in a sea of delocalized electrons.
• Understand that in metallic bonds, layers of cations can shift past each other when force is applied, enabling ductility and malleability.
• Evaluate choices to find the one describing cation layer sliding.

Why A is correct:

• Metallic bonding theory states that cations in fixed layers surrounded by delocalized electrons allow layers to slide over one another under stress, preserving bond integrity and enabling malleability.

Why the others are wrong:

• B: Electrons are delocalized throughout, not in sliding layers; they hold the structure together.
• C: Bonds in metals are between cations and the electron sea, not protons; protons are fixed in nuclei.
• D: The oxide layer provides corrosion resistance but does not cause malleability; it's a surface property.

Final answer: A