Structure & Bonding of Carbon Practice Questions

Which structure, A, B, C or D, is graphene?

Which structure, A, B, C or D, is diamond?

Give the name of structure A.

Structure B is a carbon nanotube. Give one property of carbon nanotubes that makes them useful for strengthening a tennis racket frame.

Graphite is used as the 'lead' in pencils. When a pencil is used, thin layers of graphite are left on the paper.

Explain, in terms of structure and bonding, why graphite is soft and slippery.

Describe the structure and bonding in diamond.

Explain, in terms of structure and bonding, why diamond is very hard.

Diamond does not conduct electricity. Explain why.

In graphite, each carbon atom forms covalent bonds with three other carbon atoms.

Complete the sentence.

The fourth outer electron from each carbon atom is ________________.

Explain why graphite is a good conductor of electricity.

Suggest one way in which the bonding in graphite is similar to the bonding in copper.

Describe what graphene is, in terms of the structure of graphite.

A touch screen needs to be transparent, flexible, strong and able to conduct electricity.

Explain why graphene is able to conduct electricity.

Graphene is also added in small amounts to plastics to make composite materials for use in aircraft parts.

Suggest two properties of graphene that make it suitable for this use.

Give one piece of evidence from the table which shows that $C_{60}$ is a simple molecular substance rather than a giant covalent structure.

$C_{60}$ contains strong covalent bonds, but its melting point is much lower than that of graphite. Explain why.

Buckminsterfullerene contains hexagonal rings of carbon atoms, but it cannot be made from hexagonal rings alone.

Name one other type of ring found in the structure of fullerenes.

Explain, in terms of structure and bonding, why graphite and diamond have such different properties, even though both are made only of carbon atoms.

In your answer you should refer to hardness and electrical conductivity.

Calculate the length to diameter ratio of this carbon nanotube.

Explain why a carbon nanotube conducts electricity along its length.

Carbon nanotubes have a very high tensile strength (they are very difficult to pull apart) but a bundle of nanotubes can be squashed and bent easily.

Suggest an explanation for these two observations.