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Question

Name the hardest non-metal?


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Solution

The hardest non-metal:

  • Non-metals are defined as those elements which have the tendency to form negative ions by accepting or gaining electrons.
  • Diamond (carbon) is termed as the hardest naturally occurring substance, which is also nonmetal in nature.
  • Diamond basically has a crystalline lattice in which each carbon atom is sp3hybridized and they are linked to four other carbon atoms where the C-C bond length is 154pm.
  • The hardest nature of diamond can be explained by the fact that its structure has been extended in space producing a 3-D network of carbon atoms having the directional covalent bonds throughout the lattice.
  • And it is very much difficult to break those strong extended covalent bonds, which in turn makes diamond the hardest substance on the earth.
  • The structure of the diamond can be given as:

Hence, the name of the hardest nonmetal substance is Diamond.


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