Allotropes Of Carbon

Question 1

What are allotropes?

Answer 1

Different structural form of the same Element

Question 2

Name 2 allotropes of carbon

Answer 2

Diamonds and graphite

Question 3

What are the properties of diamond ?

Answer 3

Used in jewellery and cutting tool-

Sparkly and colourless - jewellery

Very had - each carbon atom forms four covalent bonds in a rigid giant covalent structure - cutting tools

Take a lot of energy to break due to strong covalent bond

High melting point

Doesn’t conduct electricity - no free electrons or ions

Question 4

What are the properties of graphite?

Answer 4

Makes lead for your pencil (what you write with)

Black and shiny

Each carbon atom form three covalent bonds - sheets of carbon atoms that slide over each other

The sheets(layers) are held together weakly so easy to slip and rub off - suitable for pencils

High melting point - energy to break

Graphite conducts electricity- lots of spare electrons that are free to move as they use only 3 out of 4 covalent bonds

Question 5

Why is graphite a special allotrope of carbon?

Answer 5

Carbon are giant structures

Giant structures do not conduct electricity

Graphite does

Question 6

Give me an example of a nanoparticle?

Answer 6

Fullerenes

Question 7

What are fullerenes?

Answer 7

Molecules of carbon

Look like hollow balls or closed tubes

Used to trap other molecules inside them - the fullerene structure forms around another molecule

Join together to form nanotubes

Question 8

How can fullerene be used?

Answer 8

New way to deliver drugs into body - as they can trap molecules inside

Question 9

What are nanotubes?

Answer 9

Joined up fullerene

Tiny hollow carbon tubes

Have huge surface area- could be great for industrial catalysts

• individual catalysts molecules can be attached to the nanotubes