Grade 1010 grade science

Structure of graphite. How Valency of C is satisfied in it

Seema

8 Years agoGrade 10

1 Answer

Arun

8 Years ago

Carbon can bond with one (CO),two (CO2) ,three(graphite) or four other (CH4) atoms.

In graphite it is only bonding with other carbons. In graphite the bonds are made on a flat plane and since the shell requirements of the carbons are fulfilled, the layers of carbon are not attracted to each other. That is wht graphite is a dry lubricant because of it only bonding with three carbons. If it bonded with four carbons, you would have a different geometry and it would be a lot less mobile. In fact a four carbon bond with each other makes diamond.

Look at this picture of graphite and see how the layers of carbon are not influenced by each other. It is that planar structure that fulfills the valency of the carbon but allows the sheets of carbon to slide between each other. The graphite is actually the individual flat sheets

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Graphite-layers-side-3D-balls.png

Regards

Arun (askIITians forum expert)