com Structure Atoms consist of electrons surrounding a nucleus that contains protons and neutrons. Neutrons are neutral, but protons and electrons are electrically charged. Protons have a relative charge of +1, while electrons have a relative charge of -1. The number of protons in an atom is called its atomic number. In the periodic table atoms are arranged in atomic number order. Electrons are arranged in energy levels or shells, and different energy levels can hold different numbers of electrons. The electronic structure of an atom is a description of how the electrons are arranged, which can be shown in a diagram or by numbers. There is a link between the position of an element in the periodic table and its electronic structure.lonic Bonding lons are electrically charged particles formed when atoms lose or gain electrons. They have the same electronic structures as noble gases. Metal atoms form positive ions, while non-metal atoms form negative ions. The strong electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions are called ionic bonds. lonic compounds have high melting and boiling points. ll (Panalls [p\- o Covalent Bonding Acovalent bond is a strong bond between two non-metal atoms. It consists of a shared pair of electrons. A covalent bond can be represented by a straight line or dot-and-cross diagram. Hydrogen and chlorine can each form one covalent bond, oxygen two bonds, nitrogen three, while carbon can form four bondsMetals form giant structures in which electrons in the outer shells of the metal atoms are free to move. The metallic bond is the force of attraction between these free electrons and metal ions. Metallic bonds are strong, so metals can maintain a regular structure and usually have high melting and boiling points. Metals are good conductors of electricity and heat, because the free electrons carry a charge or heat energy through the metal. The free electrons allow metal atoms to slide over each other, so metals are malleable and ductile.