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GCSE Chemistry Revision
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GCSE Chemistry revision
Diamond
Structure and bonding of carbon
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Key knowledge
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Introduction
- Allotropes are different structural forms of the same element existing in the same physical state, for example, diamond, graphite, and fullerenes are all allotropes of carbon in the solid state.
Giant Covalent Structures
- Both diamond and graphite are giant covalent structures, meaning they consist of a regular lattice of covalently bonded atoms.
- Because the covalent bonds in giant covalent structures are very strong, these materials tend to have high melting points and are generally very strong materials.
Structure of Diamond
- In diamond, each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four other carbon atoms, forming a rigid, regular three-dimensional lattice.
- The large number of strong covalent bonds means diamond is extremely hard and has a very high melting point.
- Diamond does not conduct electricity because it has no free electrons or ions available to carry charge.