(a) What is buckminsterfullerene? How is it related to diamond and graphite?
(b) Why is diamond used for making cutting tools (like glass cutters) but graphite is not?
(c) Why is graphite used for making dry cell electrodes but diamond is not?
(a) What is buckminsterfullerene? How is it related to diamond and graphite?
(b) Why is diamond used for making cutting tools (like glass cutters) but graphite is not?
(c) Why is graphite used for making dry cell electrodes but diamond is not?
(a) Buckminsterfullerene is an allotrope of carbon. It is a spherically shaped molecule containing 60 carbon atoms, arranged in interlocking 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal rings of carbon atoms. Buckminsterfullerene along with diamond and graphite are allotropes of the element carbon with symbol C.
(b) Diamond is the hardest, naturally occurring material known. Owing to its rigid structure, it can be used as glass cutters. Whereas graphite is a layered structure of carbon atoms and is very soft so, it cannot be used for making cutting tools.
(c) Graphite is a good conductor of electricity. Therefore, it is used for making dry cell electrodes. Whereas, diamond does not conduct electricity, as it has no free electrons and all its valence electrons go into the formation of strong covalent bonds.
(a) Buckminsterfullerene is an allotrope of carbon. It is a spherically shaped molecule containing 60 carbon atoms, arranged in interlocking 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal rings of carbon atoms. Buckminsterfullerene along with diamond and graphite are allotropes of the element carbon with symbol C.
(b) Diamond is the hardest, naturally occurring material known. Owing to its rigid structure, it can be used as glass cutters. Whereas graphite is a layered structure of carbon atoms and is very soft so, it cannot be used for making cutting tools.
(c) Graphite is a good conductor of electricity. Therefore, it is used for making dry cell electrodes. Whereas, diamond does not conduct electricity, as it has no free electrons and all its valence electrons go into the formation of strong covalent bonds.
