Why are metallic crystals malleable and ductile? A. The electrons are free floating, allowing them to move with the atoms when the metal is struck and the crystal lattice shifts. B. The free floating electrons conduct energy easily, and disperse the energy of being hit by a hammer or other tool, allowing them to be molded and not break. C. The crystal lattice is made of very strong ionic bonds that take a lot of energy to break. D. The atoms are arranged with alternating positive and negative charges. When struck, the lattice shifts putting positives against positives and negatives against negatives.