Why is diamond so hard? -- The Diamond Molecule

Carbon alone forms the familiar substances graphite and diamond. Both graphite and diamond are made only of carbon atoms. Graphite is very soft and slippery. Diamond is the hardest substance known to man. If both are made only of carbon what gives them different properties?

The answer lies in the way the carbon atoms form bonds with each other.

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1) What is the distance of the CC bond in diamond?

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2) What is the distance of the CC bond in graphite?

3)What is distance between the graphite layers?

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Graphite is can be described as
a) hard and crystalline
b) soft and slippery
c) a dark liquid
d) made only of carbon and hydrogen atoms

2. Diamond is
a) made only of carbon and hydrogen atoms
b) the hardest substance know to man
c) soft and slippery
d) clear and brittle

3. What makes diamond so hard?
a) diamond has a crystal structure similar to ice
b) diamond is made up of only carbon atoms
c) the C-C bonds all have different bond lengths
d) a rigid network of atoms that cannot move

4. Which statement best describes why graphite is soft?
a) graphite is made up of only carbon atoms
b) graphite is layered
c) graphite has a low melting point
d) none of the above

5. Which of the following statements is not correct
a) both carbon and diamond are made of only carbon atoms
b) graphite has only weak forces between its layers
c) graphite and diamond have the same density
d) in diamond each carbon is the same distance to each of its neighboring carbon atoms