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Diamonds Are Forever!: L.O: To Understand The Properties of Giant Covalent Structures

The document discusses the properties of giant covalent structures, focusing on diamond and graphite. Diamond is characterized by its hardness and high melting point due to its covalent bonding structure, while graphite has layers that allow it to conduct electricity. It also mentions other carbon allotropes like buckminsterfullerene and highlights the general properties of giant covalent structures, including their high melting points and chemical unreactivity.

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Trang Phi Thi Thu
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37 views12 pages

Diamonds Are Forever!: L.O: To Understand The Properties of Giant Covalent Structures

The document discusses the properties of giant covalent structures, focusing on diamond and graphite. Diamond is characterized by its hardness and high melting point due to its covalent bonding structure, while graphite has layers that allow it to conduct electricity. It also mentions other carbon allotropes like buckminsterfullerene and highlights the general properties of giant covalent structures, including their high melting points and chemical unreactivity.

Uploaded by

Trang Phi Thi Thu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Diamonds are Forever!

L.O: To understand the properties of giant


covalent structures
Why is diamond so hard?
Why can you melt diamond?
If diamond is covalent why isn’t it a liquid or
gas?
Why isn’t graphite called carbon when it is
actually just carbon?
Why does graphite conduct?
Make a carbon molecule? Can you turn it into a
macromolecule.

C
C
C
C
Giant covalent structures
This is diamond what sort of properties do you think it will
have?
In some substances, millions of atoms join together by
covalent bonding. This produces giant covalent
structures, (macromolecules) – a 3D structure not
molecules.
Cut out each of the diagrams and work out
which are:
Diamond (Lots of atoms joined)
Graphite (forms layers)
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
Buckminsterfullerene (ball structure)

You should have a diagram of a molecule


and giant structure for each. List some
properties that you think each
macromolecule will have
The structure of diamond
Diamond is a rare form of carbon Properties: Hard, very high
in which each atom is covalently melting and boiling point, shiny
bonded to four others. This and transparent, unreactive
pattern arrangement is repeated
millions of times to create a giant
lattice.

C
C
C
C
The structure of graphite
Graphite is a much more This forms rings of six atoms,
common form of carbon. in creating a giant structure
which each atom is covalently containing many layers. These
bonded to three others, leaving layers are held together by
one free bond. weak forces of attraction.

C C
weak forces of attraction
Properties of graphite
 free electrons (also called delocalised
electrons)
 These allow it to conduct electricity ( as a flow
of electrons = electric current)
 layers slide over each other easily

 Uses: in pencils (the hardness is altered by


changing the clay and graphite ratio)

Why is graphite sometimes used as a lubricant?


Other allotropes of carbon
Other allotropes of carbon have been discovered in the last 30 years. They
are large but not really giant structures.
One allotrope is buckminsterfullerene. It contains 60 carbon atoms, each of
which bonds with three others by forming two single bonds and one double
bond.
These atoms are arranged in 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons to form spheres,
which are sometimes called ‘bucky balls’.

Hard, high melting and boiling point

C
C C
Sand
Sand is an impure form of silicon dioxide (quartz). It has a
giant covalent structure with certain similarities to diamond.

Each silicon atom (2.8.4) is bonded to four


oxygen atoms, and each oxygen atom (2.6)
is bonded to two silicon atoms.

Si
O
O
O
Effect of structure on properties
Giant Covalent properties
 Giant covalent structures have high melting
points
 Many are very hard
 Most do not conduct electricity or dissolve in
water
 They are chemically unreactive

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