giant covalent structures (IN GENERAL) and properties

what makes something a giant covalent substance?

A giant covalent substance is made up of a huge number of non-metal atoms bonded together by strong covalent bonds in a continuous 3D structure.

give three examples of giant covalent substances:

Diamond, graphite, silicon dioxide (silica)

what are the properties of giant covalent structures?

- high melting and boiling points

- always solid at room temperature

why do giant covalent structures all have high melting/boiling points?

- Giant covalent structures have high melting and boiling points because:

-All the atoms in the structure are joined by strong covalent bonds.

-Covalent bonds require a very large amount of energy to break.

-Since the bonds must be broken (not just weak forces), a lot of heat energy is needed to melt or boil the substance.