The Lithosphere Flashcards
What makes up the Earths lithosphere?
The crust and the part of the mantle just below it, they are made up of a mixture of minerals.
How are diamond and graphite made and what are their corresponding properties?
They are made up of carbon atoms arranged in a regular pattern joined by covalent bonds and hence are very strong. These giant covalent structures have very high melting and boiling points and don’d dissolve in water.
How does the structure of diamond and graphite differ?
In diamond each atom is covalently bonded to 4 others in a 3-D tetrahedral lattice and so each is fixed firmly in place.
However in graphite each layer is covalently bonded to each other and so each layer is strong but between each layer is only a weak force so the layers slide over each other.
Can graphite and diamond conduct electricity?
Graphite has free moving electrons between layers and so it can whereas in diamond none are free to move so it can’t.
How are oxygen, aluminium and silicon present in the crust?
They are all very abundant and silicon and oxygen are commonly in the form silicon dioxide, another giant covalent compound.
