Question

Classify the following solids into different types:
Diamond

Answer 1

Hint: Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. At room temperature and pressure, another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon, but diamond almost never converts to it.

Complete step by step answer:
Diamonds are among nature’s most precious and beautiful creations. It is Colourless and has a Refractive Index of 2.42. A network solid or covalent network solid is a chemical compound (or element) in which the atoms are bonded by covalent bonds in a continuous network extending throughout the material. In a network solid there are no individual molecules, and the entire crystal or amorphous solid may be considered a macromolecule.

Diamond crystallizes on what we call atomic crystal structure, which means that when it is in a solid state, there are atoms held together by strong covalent bonds. Diamond has a 3D network involving strong \[C - C\] bonds which are very difficult to break so it has a high melting point.

Diamond is a covalent or network solid as the constituent atoms in the Diamond are carbon atoms and are held together by a strong covalent bond. In Diamond, each carbon bonds with four other carbon atoms with strong covalent bonds.

So, Diamond is called covalent solid.

Note: Diamond forms under high temperature and pressure conditions that exist only about 100 miles beneath the earth’s surface. Diamond’s carbon atoms are bonded in essentially the same way in all directions. Another mineral, graphite, also contains only carbon, but its formation process and crystal structure are very different. Graphite is so soft that you can write with it, while diamond is so hard that you can only scratch it with another diamond.