Giant Covalent Structures Flashcards
what is diamond?
diamond is a form of pure carbon arranged into a giant lattice
what are the three features of a diamond lattice?
- every C makes 4 covalent bonds
- tetrahedral shape
- strong, grid-like arrangement
why does diamond sublime at a very high temperature?
- covalent bonds are very strong
- there are lots of bonds in the giant lattice
- lots of energy is required to break all the bonds
why is diamond one of the hardest substances?
- covalent bonds are very strong
- there are lots of bonds in the giant lattice
- lots of energy is required to break all the bonds
what is diamond used for?
cutting
why can diamond not conduct electricity?
- there are no freely moving charged particles
- all the atoms are neutral, and all the electrons are stuck inside an atom or a bond
what is graphite?
graphite is another form of pure carbon arranged into a different giant lattice
what are the four features of a graphite lattice?
- layers of hexagons of C atoms
- every C makes 3 covalent bonds
- weak intermolecular forces between layers
- delocalised electrons inside each layer
why does graphite sublime at a very high temperature?
- covalent bonds are very strong
- there are lots of bonds in the giant lattice
- lots of energy is required to break all the bonds
why is graphite soft and slippery?
- the layers can slide easily
what is graphite used for?
as a solid lubricant
why does graphite conduct electricity?
inside the layers the delocalised electrons can move freely
what is silicon dioxide also known as?
silica
what are four features of a silica lattice?
- every Si makes four covalent bonds
- every O makes two covalent bonds
- tetrahedral shape (like diamond)
- strong, grid like arrangement
why does silicon dioxide have similar properties to diamond?
because of its similar bonding and structure
