The electrons in a metal are spread out uniformly among the atoms, in a sort of sea. You can’t really say that the electrons belong to any particular nucleus, and so the “surface” is smooth even on scales comparable to the size of individual atoms.
The electrons in a metal are spread out uniformly among the atoms, in a sort of sea. You can’t really say that the electrons belong to any particular nucleus, and so the “surface” is smooth even on scales comparable to the size of individual atoms.