The molecular structures of diamond and graphite

Question 1

what are the structural similarities between diamond and graphite?

Answer 1

both are giant covalent structures that only contain carbon atoms

Question 2

describe the molecular structure of diamond

Answer 2

a giant covalent structure
each carbon atom in diamond forms 4 covalent bonds with each other
this means diamond has a strong rigid structure because theres lots of bonds which makes diamond very hard
Diamond does not have any delocalised electrons so electrons are not free to carry charge meaning diamond does not conduct electricity

Question 3

describe the molecular structure of graphite

Answer 3

a giant covalent structure
each carbon atom in graphite forms 3 covalent bonds with each other
this means each carbon atom has a spare electron.
these spare electrons form an electron cloud which is delocalized and free to move so graphite is able to conduct electricity
graphite has multiple layers that are held together by weak intermolecular forces
theses forces are easily broken so the layers are able to slide over eachother which is why graphite is slippy

Question 4

what is an electric current?

Answer 4

the movement of free electrons

Question 5

give a use for diamond and graphite

Answer 5

diamond- Jewlerry and in drills for cutting through rock

graphite- Pencils and as a lubricant to reduce friction on moving substances

Question 6

why do diamond and graphite have such high melting and boiling points?

Answer 6

they have very strong covalent bonds that need a lot of energy to break