Graphite Flashcards
properties of graphite
high mp and bp
soft and slippery
good conductor of both electricity and of heat
is a giant covalent structure
what element is graphite made from
describe the structure
formed from carbon
each carbon atom forms three covalent bonds
forms hexagonal rings
what shape do carbon atoms form in graphite?
hexagonal rings
why has graphite got high mp and bp
it has many strong covalent bonds that require a great deal of energy to break making it very hard to melt
how are the hexagonal rings arranged in graphite?
further explain this arrangement
the hexagonal rings are arranged in layers. There are NO covalent bonds between the layers so they can SLIDE. This makes graphite slippery
why is graphite slippery?
the hexagonal rings of carbon atoms are arrange in layers with no covalent bonds between the layers marking the layers slide
why does graphite have a high mp and bp
it’s a giant covalent structure meaning
why is graphite a good conductor of electricity and heat?
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what are delocalised electrons
electrons that aren’t in a covalent bond that are then released from the carbon atoms
property of delocalised electrons
they can move
delocalised electrons can move, what does this mean for their property?
they can conduct thermal energy and electricity
why is graphite not a metal
it’s based on the element carbon
how is graphite similiar to metals?
both graphite and metals are good conductors of heat and electricity
because both have delocalised electrons that can move
