Diamond and graphite Flashcards
Why does diamond have a high melting point?
•Giant covalent structure
•Strong covalent bonds between a carbon atom and 4 other carbon atoms
•Lots of energy needed to break these bonds so a high heat required
Why is diamond hard?
A giant tetrahedral structure where every carbon atoms forms strong covalent bonds with 4 other carbon atoms
Why does diamond not conduct electricity?
No free electrons available to carry a charge and form a current
Why does graphite have a high melting point?
•Giant covalent structure
•Strong covalent bonds between a carbon atom and 3 other carbon atoms
•Lots of energy needed to break these bonds and so a high heat is required
Why is graphite soft/slippery/used as lubricant/in pencils?
•Made of layers that have weak intermolecular forces between these layers
•So the layers can slide
Why does graphite conduct electricity?
•Every carbon atom has a delocalised electron that is free to move throughout the entire structure, carry a charge and form a current throughout the whole structure.
Why does graphite conduct heat?
•Every carbon atom has a delocalised electron that is free to move and carry heat energy
