GRAPHITE

• WHAT IS GRAPHITE MADE UP OF?

  pure carbon
• WHAT TWO TYPES OF BONDING DOES GRAPHITE HAVE?

  strong covalent bonds and weaker van der Waals forces
• WHAT DOES EACH CARBON ATOM BOND TO?

  3 other carbon atoms
• HOW MANY BONDS DOES EACH CARBON ATOM FORM?

  3 (single)
• WHAT IS CAUSED BY ONLY 3 SINGLE BONDS NOT 4?

  one free electron
• WHAT SHAPE IS CAUSED BY THE 3 SINGLE BONDS?

  trigonal planar
• WHAT IS PRODUCED FROM THE TRIGONAL PLANAR SHAPE?

  2D layer of hexagons
• WHAT HAPPENS ONCE THE 2D LAYERS OF HEXAGONS ARE FORMED?

  p orbitals with the spare electrons merge causing them to become delocalised
• WHAT DO THE DELOCALISED ELECTRONS ADD TO?

  bonding strength
• WHAT DO THE DELOCALISED ELECTRONS ALLOW FOR?

  allow to conduct electricity
• IS THERE COVALENT BONDING BETWEEN THE LAYERS?

  no
• WHAT IS FOUND BETWEEN THE HEXAGONAL LAYERS?

  weaker van der Waals
• WHAT DO THE WEAKER VAN DER WAALS CAUSE?

  layers to slide over each other
• WHAT TYPE OF PROPERTIES DOES GRAPHITE HAVE AS A RESULT OF ITS LAYERS SLIDING OVER EACH OTHER?

  soft and flaky
• WHAT IS GRAPHITE USED IN?

  lead pencils
• WHAT ARE THE PROPERTIES OF GRAPHITE?

  • soft material
  • very high melting temperature
  • conducts electricity along planes of hexagons
• WHERE DOES GRAPHITE CONDUCT ELECTRICITY ALONG?

  planes of hexagons
• WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE GRAPHITE MELTS?

  bonds break down
• WHY DOES GRAPHITE HAVE A HIGH MELTING TEMPERATURE?

  network of strong covalent bonds creating a giant structure