(a) What is the unique property of carbon atom? How is this property helpful to us?
(b) Explain why diamond is hard while graphite is soft (though both are made of carbon atoms).
(a) What is the unique property of carbon atom? How is this property helpful to us?
(b) Explain why diamond is hard while graphite is soft (though both are made of carbon atoms).
(a) Self-combination (catenation) is the most unique property of a carbon atom. This property is extremely as it gives rise to a large number of carbon compounds or organic compounds. Other atoms get attached to the long chain of carbon atoms in a number of ways to produce a large number of carbon compounds.
Note: Tetravalency is the other property which supports this unique characteristic of carbon to produce a large number of carbon or organic compounds.
(b) Even if diamond and graphite are made up of carbon, the former is extremely hard while the latter is soft. Diamond is hard because of the strong covalent bond between its carbon atoms forming a regular tetrahedron which is hard to break. Graphite, on the other hand, consists of the flat hexagonal ring forming layers of carbon atoms. The various layers of the carbon atoms are far apart from each other; hence, the covalent bond cannot exist. The layers are held together by weak van der Waals forces, thereby allowing them to slide over each other. Due to this layered structure, graphite is softer than diamond.
(a) Self-combination (catenation) is the most unique property of a carbon atom. This property is extremely as it gives rise to a large number of carbon compounds or organic compounds. Other atoms get attached to the long chain of carbon atoms in a number of ways to produce a large number of carbon compounds.
Note: Tetravalency is the other property which supports this unique characteristic of carbon to produce a large number of carbon or organic compounds.
(b) Even if diamond and graphite are made up of carbon, the former is extremely hard while the latter is soft. Diamond is hard because of the strong covalent bond between its carbon atoms forming a regular tetrahedron which is hard to break. Graphite, on the other hand, consists of the flat hexagonal ring forming layers of carbon atoms. The various layers of the carbon atoms are far apart from each other; hence, the covalent bond cannot exist. The layers are held together by weak van der Waals forces, thereby allowing them to slide over each other. Due to this layered structure, graphite is softer than diamond.
