Diamond Flashcards
What are the properties(all) of Diamond?
—> appearance:
> colourless, transparent crystals that sparkle in light
> used in jewellery - it reflects light (crystalline structure)
—> hardness:
> the hardest natural substance (exists as a solid)
> used in drill bits, diamond saws and glass-cutters as it can cut through any natural substance
—> electrical conductivity:
> does not conduct electricity - no lone electrons, as all of the outer electrons of the atoms are used in covalent bonding.
—> melting / boiling point:
> VERY high m. / b. point - billions of covalent bonds throughout the structure, and therefore requires a lot of energy to break these bonds.
—> solubility in water:
> insoluble in water
What is the structure of Diamond?
It has a tetrahedral structure - each carbon atom in Diamond is covalently bonded to 4 other carbon atoms; these atoms are arranged tetrahedrally.
What are the physical properties of Diamond?
> it exists as a solid
it does NOT conduct electricity
it is insoluble in water
