Question

Which of the following are correct properties of diamond, and account for them in terms of structure and bonding.

• A. Diamond is very hard, high melting solid.
• B. It is an electrical insulator.
• C. Diamond has a covalent network structure in which each $C$-atom uses $s{p}^3$-hybrid orbitals to forms a tetrahydral array of $\sigma$-bonds.
• D. The interlocking, three-dimensional network of strong bonds makes diamond the hardest known substance with highest m.p for an element.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B), (C), (D)

The correct options are
A Diamond is very hard, high melting solid.
B Diamond has a covalent network structure in which each $C$-atom uses $s{p}^3$-hybrid orbitals to forms a tetrahydral array of $\sigma$-bonds.
C It is an electrical insulator.
D The interlocking, three-dimensional network of strong bonds makes diamond the hardest known substance with highest m.p for an element.

Diamond has a giant molecular structure. Each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four other carbon atoms. A lot of energy is needed to separate the atoms in diamond. This is because covalent bonds are strong, and diamond contains very many covalent bonds. This makes diamond's melting point and boiling point very high.Diamond has a covalent network structure in which each C-atom uses sp3-hybrid orbitals to forms a tetrahydral array of -bonds

There are no free electrons or ions in diamond, so it does not conduct electricity.

Hence options A,B,C and D are correct.