Structure And Bonding Of Carbon

In diamond how many covalent bonds does each carbon atom form?

4

Why is diamond hard?

The rigid network of carbon atoms, held together by strong covalent bonds, makes diamond very hard.

Why does diamond have a high melting and boiling point?

A lot of energy is needed to break the covalent bonds.

Why doesn’t diamond conduct electricity?

There are no free electrons or ions to carry a charge.

In graphite, how many covalent bonds does each carbon atom form?

In graphite, each carbon atom forms 3 covalent bonds with three other carbon atoms, forming layers of hexagonal rings which have no covalent bonds between the layers.

Why is graphite soft and slippery?

The layers can easily slide over each other because the weak forces of attraction between the layers are easily broken.

Why does graphite conduct electricity?

One electron from each carbon atom is delocalised.

What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of graphite and has properties that make it useful in electronics and composites.

What are the properties of graphenes?

It is an excellent conductor of thermal energy and electricity (even better than graphite), has a very low density and is incredibly strong.It has many uses in the electronics industry.

What are fullerenes?

Fullerenes are molecules of carbon atoms with hollow shapes.

What is the structure of fullerenes?

The structure of fullerenes is based on hexagonal rings of carbon atoms but they may also contain rings with five or seven carbon atoms.

What was the first fullerene to be discovered?

Buckminsterfullerene which has a spherical shape.

What are carbon nanotubes?

Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical fullerenes with very high length to diameter ratios. Their properties make them useful for nanotechnology, electronics and materials.