FACT:
Diamond is the hardest
known natural mineral.
FACT: Graphite
is soft and slippery.
FACT:
Both diamond and graphite are
made ONLY of Carbon atoms.
QUESTION: Why are
diamond and graphite so different if they are both formed
exclusively from Carbon? |
Think about the physical properties of graphite and
diamonds. Look at the images below. |
 
Above: Graphite slips off and leaves a mark on the
paper.
Diamonds are so strong that they are used as cutting tools
in many industries. |
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Materials:
-marshmallows
-toothpicks
-diagram of graphite structure
-diagram diamond structure
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How do the
different atom arrangements look different?
How would the arrangement of the diamond atoms make their
bonds stronger than the bonds of graphite atoms? |
 |
| We recreated the structure of the
carbon atoms. |
|
Then we recreated the structure of the
diamond atoms. |
Look at the differences in the way that the
atoms are arraged and bonded to see if you can figure out
why diamonds would have more strength than slippery
graphite. What do you notice about the way that the
atoms are arranged? |
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Click here to learn more about how atoms form bonds with
eachother. |
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