The carbon shape-shifters
Deep earth's pressure cooker
The legendary mines of Golconda
Curing the high pressure itch
007skaty Varying bond arrangements create pure carbon structures called allotropes, transforming the material from soft and black to transparent and ultra-hard.
007skaty These hexagonal carbon sheets also release free electrons that conduct electricity.
007skaty Press carbon atoms together to discover how they lock into the ultimate diamond cage.
Carbon shape-shifters: While graphite is so soft it rubs off on paper, diamonds are so hard they can only be scratched by other diamonds, despite being made of the exact same carbon atoms.
One of two or more different structural forms in which a chemical element can exist. In 2004, researchers at the University of Manchester isolated graphene, a two-dimensional form of carbon.
How many valence electrons does a single carbon atom have available for forming chemical bonds?
What is the term for different physical forms of the same chemical element, such as diamond and graphite?
At what approximate temperature must you heat a diamond to break its covalent bonds and melt it?
What is the geometric shape of the carbon bonding structure that gives diamond its legendary hardness?