Giant covalent structures Flashcards
1
Q
Describe the diamond structure
A
- It is an allotrope of carbon, each carbon is joined with 4 other carbons.
- It is a clear, transparent crystalline structure
- They don’t conduct electricity because there are no free electrons to carry charges
- It has a high melting point due to the strong covalent bonds
2
Q
What are diamonds used for
A
Cutting
Drilling
jewelry
3
Q
Describe the graphite structure
A
- this is another allotrope of carbon, each carbon is joined with 3 other carbons
- They conduct electricity
- There are weak Van Der Waal forces between the layers of graphite that causes the layers to slide over each other when force is applied, this also makes it soft and flaky
- It is black in colour
- It has a high melting point
4
Q
What is graphite used for
A
As a lubricant and in pencil leads
5
Q
Describe the silicon dioxide structure
A
- it is made of silicon and oxygen, each silicon is joined to 4 oxygen atoms while each oxygen atom is joined with 2 silicon atoms
- It has a high melting point due to the strong bonds between silicon and oxygen
6
Q
What is silicon dioxide used for
A
It is used by food manufacturers as an anti-cacking agent for spices or creamers
7
Q
Compare the properties of the diamond structure and silicon dioxide
A
- Both don’t conduct electricity
- Both are crystals
- They have high melting points
- Very hard
