MCQ Detailed View

Diamond is an allotropic form of carbon, meaning it is one of the different physical structures in which the element carbon can exist. Allotropy refers to the property of certain elements to occur in more than one structural form while having the same chemical composition. Other allotropes of carbon include graphite, graphene, fullerenes, and carbon nanotubes.

In diamond, each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement, forming a three-dimensional crystal lattice. This strong bonding makes diamond the hardest known natural material, giving it exceptional strength and high thermal conductivity.

Although diamond and graphite are both pure carbon, their properties are vastly different because of their atomic arrangement:

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  Diamond: Atoms are tightly packed in a rigid 3D network, making it transparent, extremely hard, and an excellent insulator.

  
  


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  Graphite: Atoms are arranged in layers with weak forces between them, making it soft, black, and a good conductor of electricity.

  
  

The formation of diamond occurs naturally under high temperature and high pressure deep within the Earth's mantle. Diamonds can also be artificially produced using high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) methods or chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

The incorrect options are:

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  Hydrogen: A gas, does not have allotropes like diamond.

  
  


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  Nitrogen: Exists in different molecular forms but does not form diamond.

  
  


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  Silicon: Shares similar properties with carbon but its crystalline forms are not called diamond.

  
  

Understanding diamond as an allotrope of carbon highlights the importance of atomic structure in determining the physical and chemical properties of elements. This concept is essential in everyday science and chemistry, as it explains why substances made of the same element can behave completely differently based on their structure.