Chemistry
With reference to the structure of the two crystalline allotropes of carbon, state why diamond is inert or unreactive while graphite is comparably more reactive.
Carbon
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Answer
In diamond, due to the linking of each carbon atom with four neighbouring carbon atoms forming a rigid tetrahedral structure, there are no free or mobile electrons. This makes diamond inert.
Graphite has a more open structure than diamond with one valence electron of each carbon atom remaining free which makes it more reactive than carbon.
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