How are atoms arranged in pure metals?

• A. Orderly rows and columns
• B. Disordered random positions
• C. In random lattices
• D. In spiral chains

Answer: (A)

Metals in the solid state form a crystal lattice—a regular, repeating three-dimensional arrangement of atoms. This orderly pattern means atoms sit in predictable positions, which we can describe as orderly rows and columns. The surrounding sea of delocalized electrons keeps the lattice together, but it doesn’t erase the periodic arrangement. So the best description for pure metals is orderly rows and columns. Saying they are in random positions or random lattices would imply a disordered or amorphous structure, which isn’t typical for pure metals, and spiral chains don’t describe metallic packing.