C3e

Question 1

What are the properties of a diamond?

Answer 1

• lustrous
• colourless
• very high melting point
• doesn’t conduct electricity
• hard

Question 2

What is the structure pf a diamond?

Answer 2

• each carbon forms four covalent bonds in a very rigid giant covalent structure making it really hard
• the strong covalent bonds take lots of energy to break, giving diamond an very high melting point
• no free electrons or ions, so no conducting electricity

Question 3

What is the structure of graphite?

Answer 3

• each carbon atom form three covalent bonds, creating sheets of carbon atoms which are free to slide over each other
• layers held together weakly so they are slippery and can be rubbed off (how pencils work)
• lots of energy needed to break covalent bonds so high melting point
• since only three out of each carbons’ four outer electrons are used in bonds, there are lots of delocalised (spare) electrons that can move, conducts electricity

Question 4

What are the properties of graphite?

Answer 4

-black
-opaque
-kind of shiny
-rubs off on paper
-high melting point
conducts electricity

Question 5

What are the uses of diamonds and why?

Answer 5

• cutting tool because high melting point and hardness

- jewellery because lustrous

Question 6

What are the uses of graphite and why?

Answer 6

• pencils as layers are slippery and can be rubbed off

- lubricating material, as slippery

Question 7

What are giant molecular structures

Answer 7

• usually don’t conduct electricity because there aren’t any fee electrons (graphite is an exception)
• carbon can form giant molecular structures because it can form lots of covalent bonds with itself
• all the covalent bonds give giant molecular structures strength, high melting point and they do not dissolve in water

Question 8

What are nanotubes?

Answer 8

• tiny hollow carbon tubes
• huge surface area, so can make great industrial catalysts (individual catalyst molecules cab be attached to the nanotubes)

Question 9

What are fullerenes?

Answer 9

• molecules of carbon
• shaped like closed tubes or hollow balls
• used to cage other molecules, fullerene structure forms around another atom or molecule which is then trapped inside
• could be a new way of delivering drugs in the body, e.g.slow release

Question 10

What are allotropes?

Answer 10

-different structural forms of the same element in the same physical stat, e.g. they’re all solids