Explain the difference between Diamond and graphite.
Explain the difference between Diamond and graphite.
Diamond
Graphite
(i) Diamond is a brilliant, hard, and crystalline allotrope of carbon.
(i) Graphite is a black, soft, brittle, and slippery crystalline allotrope of carbon.
(ii) In diamonds, every carbon atom is bonded to four neighbouring atoms by covalent bonds forming a tetragonal three-dimensional structure which makes it very hard.
(ii) In graphite, every carbon atom is bonded to three other carbon atoms by covalent bonds in such a way that a hexagonal layered structure is formed. A graphite crystal is made of many such layers of carbon atoms. These layers slip over each other on applying pressure.
(iii) Diamond is a bad conductor of electricity as it does not have free electrons.
(iii) Inside each layer of graphite, free electrons move continuously within the entire layer. Hence, graphite is a good conductor of electricity.
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Diamond |
Graphite |
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(i) Diamond is a brilliant, hard, and crystalline allotrope of carbon. |
(i) Graphite is a black, soft, brittle, and slippery crystalline allotrope of carbon. |
|
(ii) In diamonds, every carbon atom is bonded to four neighbouring atoms by covalent bonds forming a tetragonal three-dimensional structure which makes it very hard. |
(ii) In graphite, every carbon atom is bonded to three other carbon atoms by covalent bonds in such a way that a hexagonal layered structure is formed. A graphite crystal is made of many such layers of carbon atoms. These layers slip over each other on applying pressure. |
|
(iii) Diamond is a bad conductor of electricity as it does not have free electrons. |
(iii) Inside each layer of graphite, free electrons move continuously within the entire layer. Hence, graphite is a good conductor of electricity. |
