Apentix/AP Chemistry/Unit 3: Intermolecular Forces and Properties/Question
AP Chemistrymediummcq1 pt

Diamond and graphite are both pure carbon, yet graphite is a soft lubricant that conducts electricity while diamond is an extremely hard insulator. What structural feature explains this contrast?

A.Graphite has carbon sheets with delocalized electrons and weak interlayer attractions; diamond has a rigid tetrahedral network
B.Diamond molecules are simply larger than graphite molecules
C.Graphite contains ionic bonds that friction breaks while diamond uses metallic bonds
D.Graphite's layers are joined by hydrogen bonds that slide during lubrication

Explanation

Core Concept

Both allotropes contain nothing but carbon-carbon covalent bonds, yet the networks differ fundamentally. In graphite each carbon forms three bonds in a flat hexagonal sheet, leaving one electron per atom delocalized across the layer, so the sheet conducts electricity. Stacked sheets touch through weak dispersion forces only, so layers slip past one another easily and feel greasy. In diamond every valence electron sits in a localized tetrahedral bond of a rigid three-dimensional framework, giving hardness and no mobile charge carriers.

Correct Answer

AGraphite has carbon sheets with delocalized electrons and weak interlayer attractions; diamond has a rigid tetrahedral network

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