Metals

Most of the 91 naturally occurring atoms like to cluster with others of the same kind. This process can make huge molecule-like structures containing many billions of billions of atoms of the same sort. In most cases, these become hard, shiny, ductile structures called metals. In metals, some of the electrons can leave their individual atoms and flow through the bulk of the metal. These flowing electrons comprise electrical currents; therefore, metals conduct charge. Extension cords, power lines, and television antennas are all examples of devices where electrical charges move through metal structures.

This can be a little hard to imagine. Think of it as a bank where depositors are atoms, dollars are electrons, and the bank building itself ...

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