Carbon naturally occurs in two forms: diamond and graphite. Why do these two forms have very different properties?

a. The key difference is that diamonds have other elements bonded within their structure.
b. The differences are explained by the number of covalent and ionic bonds within each substance.
c. The differences are explained by the density: graphite is very high and diamond is much lower.
d. The differences are explained by how the carbon atoms within each substance are covalently bonded together.

Question

Carbon naturally occurs in two forms: diamond and graphite. Why do these two forms have very different properties?

a. The key difference is that diamonds have other elements bonded within their structure.
b. The differences are explained by the number of covalent and ionic bonds within each substance.
c. The differences are explained by the density: graphite is very high and diamond is much lower.
d. The differences are explained by how the carbon atoms within each substance are covalently bonded together.

aaronq · Answer

d. The differences are explained by how the carbon atoms within each substance are covalently bonded together.

Diamond is tetrahedral lattice that extends in all 3 planes, and is, essentially, one molecule. Graphite has a flat and highly conjugated arrangement ("sheets") that stack on top of one another through $\pi$-electron interactions.

kainui · Answer

Those sheets slip write off.