Science · 6 pages · 12 min
Why diamond and graphite are both carbon
The same atoms are tied differently, a stiff network in one and sliding sheets in the other.
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From the opening
Diamond and graphite are both carbon because both are nothing but carbon atoms, packed in different patterns. The pattern of the bonds, not a secret extra ingredient, is what makes one hard and clear and the other soft and dark. The opening covers four bonds in a stiff net, three bonds in sliding sheets, and why one conducts and one does not.
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Inside
- Four bonds in a stiff net
- Three bonds in sliding sheets
- Why one conducts and one does not
- Other forms, from soot to graphene
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Allotropy of carbon
- Tetrahedral bonding in diamond versus sheets in graphite