General Properties of Carbon
- The three allotropes of carbon are diamond, graphite, and the fullerenes.
- While the majority of carbon chemistry is organic chemistry, carbon also reacts in many inorganic reactions
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- The three allotropes of carbon are diamond, graphite, and the fullerenes.
- Diamond is a very hard crystalline solid that consists of a lattice of sp 3 -hybridized carbon atoms in a rigid tetrahedral arrangement.
- Graphite is soft and consists of layers of lattices of hexagonal rings of sp 2 -hybridized carbon that are able to slide against each other.
- A third allotrope of carbon was discovered in 1985. This
group of molecules consists of a mixture of five- and
six-membered rings joined together. In one example of a
fullerene, sixty such carbons form a spherical shape called buckminsterfullerene. - While the majority of carbon chemistry is organic chemistry, carbon also reacts in many inorganic reactions.
- For example, carbon is able to form three kinds of binary carbides. Ionic carbides result from combination with metals such as calcium. Metallic carbides occur when carbon is incorporated into the interstitial spaces of transition metals in non-stoichiometric proportions. Molecular carbides are formed from covalent bonds with metalloids and nonmetals.
- Cyanide is a highly toxic carbon compound that is used in the extraction of gold from ores. Carbon also forms various oxides that are important such as carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The ions of oxidized carbon are called carbonates and these form important salts such as sodium and calcium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 , CaCO 3 ). Finally there are non-crystalline forms of carbon such as carbon black, charcoal, and coke (an incompletely burned form of coal).
What is the common name of the carbonate salt, Na2CO3?
Washing soda
Which is the compound used to coat the surface of cutting tools?
Tungsten carbide
Which of the following is not an allotrope of carbon?
Cyanide
Which of the following describes diamond?
Array of sp3 hybridized carbon atoms
Which of the following is not a binary carbide?
Graphite
Which of the following carbon compound is INCORRECTLY matched with its use?
Carbon monoxide / fire extinguishers
Which of the following statements is false?
Carbon monoxide forms when burning carbon in excess oxygen
What is the Lewis dot structure of cyanide?
[:C:::N:]−
Which of the following is not a use of carbon dioxide?
Paint pigments
How many carbon atoms comprise a buckminsterfullerene?
60