Why is a diamond harder than graphite if they're made of the same substance?

Both diamond and graphite are made of carbon. Carbon can form a maximum of 4 covalent bonds due to carbon having 4 electrons on it's outer shell. In diamond, each carbon atom forms 4 covalent bonds in a tetrahedral structure. Whereas, in graphite the carbon atoms only form 3 covalent bonds, creating hexagonally packed sheets of carbon. The sheets of carbon become bonded by weaker intermolecular forces. It is because of these weak intermolecular forces that the layersof graphite can slide over eachother, making the overall substance a lot weaker than diamond.

CC
Answered by Chantelle C. Chemistry tutor

54454 Views

See similar Chemistry GCSE tutors

Related Chemistry GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Why can you separate crude oil using distillation?


What is empirical formula and how is it worked out?


Explain the physical properties of metals


Why don't Hydrocarbons and Water Molecules mix, and why might an emulsifier fix this?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences