Question

Graphite is soft, lubricant and extremely difficult to melt. The reason for this anomalous behaviour is that graphite :

• A. has carbon atoms arranged in large plates of rings of strongly bound carbon atoms with weak interplate bonds
• B. is a non-crystalline substance
• C. is an allotropic form of carbon
• D. has only single bonds between carbon atoms

Answer 1

The correct option is A has carbon atoms arranged in large plates of rings of strongly bound carbon atoms with weak interplate bonds

Carbon exists in a second, more familiar, crystalline form called graphite. You use graphite every time you write with a pencil. (Pencil leads consist of C, not Pb!) The structure of graphite consists of flat layers. In each layer the carbon atoms are arranged in a regular hexagonal array. We can regard each layer as a large number of benzene rings fused together to form a gigantic honeycomb. All carbon-carbon bonds in this honeycomb are equivalent and intermediate in character between a single and a double bond.Hence it is extremely difficult to melt.Hence option A is the correct answer.