How can i compare the physical properties of diamond and graphite to buckminsterfullerene?
These three are all forms of pure carbon. You can compare the ways in which the carbon atoms are arranged in the molecule, and how this leads to the physical properties that we observe them to have. Diamond – tetrahedral structure, all very strong bonds leading to its great strength. Graphite – layers of carbon, weak bonds between the layers, causing it to be brittle. Buckminsterfullerene – atoms arranged in a sphere (“Bucky Balls”), as each ball is seperate, with weaks bonds between them, this leads to its physical properties.
