What is the difference between an allotrope and a compound, because carbon is said to form over 30 million compounds but a limited allotropes

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Solution

Allotropes are different structural modifications of an element; the atoms of the element are bonded together in a different manner. ... The term allotropy is used forelements only, not for compounds. The more general term, used for any crystalline material, is polymorphism.

Allotropes of Carbon:Carbon exists in two Allotropicforms,Crystalline allotropes, amorphous allotropes, Crystalline allotropes: Diamond, Graphite, Fullerenes, Amorphous allotropes: Carbon block lamp block, Coke,Charcoal. Diamond:It has a crystalline lattice. ... Graphite in an electric arc....

Carbon is the only element that can form so many different compounds because each carbon atom can form four chemical bonds to other atoms, and because thecarbon atom is just the right, small size to fit in comfortably as parts of very large molecules.

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