---
title: "A student applies a mechanical force to a sample of pure copper, \\(\\text{Cu}(s)\\). Which of the following correctly predicts the macroscopic behavior of the sample and provides the best particulate-level justification?"
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date_modified: "2026-09-28T11:59:47+00:00"
---

# A student applies a mechanical force to a sample of pure copper, \(\text{Cu}(s)\). Which of the following correctly predicts the macroscopic behavior of the sample and provides the best particulate-level justification?

A student applies a mechanical force to a sample of pure copper, \(\text{Cu}(s)\). Which of the following correctly predicts the macroscopic behavior of the sample and provides the best particulate-level justification?

- **A.** The \(\text{Cu}(s)\) sample will fracture into fragments because the displacement of atomic layers aligns like-charged cation cores, resulting in strong electrostatic repulsions.
- **B.** The \(\text{Cu}(s)\) sample will fracture into fragments because rigid, directional covalent bonds between adjacent atoms are permanently broken upon displacement.
- **C.** The \(\text{Cu}(s)\) sample will deform into a thinner sheet without fracturing because localized electron pairs shared between neighboring atoms allow the bond angles to flex.
- **D.** The \(\text{Cu}(s)\) sample will deform into a thinner sheet without fracturing because the delocalized sea of valence electrons can adapt to the displacement of the cation cores, maintaining non-directional attractions.

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