Covalent Structures Flashcards
Give two examples of lattices
Diamonds and graphite
Silica
Atoms in giant structures have high melting points because
They are linked by strong covalent bonds
In diamond how many bonds does one carbon atom make with another?
Four
What sort of structure does a diamond have
Giant covalent structure
Why is diamond very hard?
Because each carbon atom forms with four others in a GIANT COVALENT STRUCTURE
In graphite, each carbon atom bonds to how many others?
Three
What do the three carbon bonds in graphite form ?
Layers
Why do the layers in graphite slide over each other?
Because there are no covalent bonds between them
What properties does graphite have
It’s soft
It’s slippery
How strong are the intermolecular forces between the layers in graphite
Weak
In graphite how many delocalised electrons does each carbon atom have ?
One
Why can graphite conduct electricity and heat
Because it has delocalised electrons
How is graphite similar to metals
They both have delocalised electrons
Carbon structures with different numbers of carbon atoms are called what
Fullerenes
What can fullerenes be used as
Drug delivery into the body
In lubricants
As catalysts
In nanotubes
