Graphite Flashcards
What are the properties(all) of Graphite?
—> appearance:
dark grey, shiny solid
—> hardness:
it is soft & slippery - this is because between the layers of graphite, the forces of attraction are weak ; they therefore are able to slide past each other easily causing it to be slippery and soft.
—> electrical conductivity:
graphite is the only covalent structure that can conduct electricity ; this is because there are free electrons that are not used in covalent bonding. These electrons can roam around the layers freely, and they carry charge with them meaning it can conduct electricity.
—> melting / boiling point:
it has a high m. / b. point ; this is because it requires a lot of energy to break the billions of bonds between graphite.
—> solubility in water:
> insoluble in water
What are the uses of Graphite?
> it can be used as a lubricant - it can be used in pencils. when we write on paper, thin layers of graphite are left stuck to the paper.
can be used in making electrodes for the brushes of electric motors.
What is the structure of Graphite?
> graphite has a hexagonal structure - each carbon atom is covalently bonded to 3 other carbon atoms
it is arranged in flat layers of linked hexagons
each graphite layer is a 2-dimensional giant molecule
What are the physical properties of Graphite?
