Diamond andgraphite are two allotropic modifications of carbon (today they areno

Question

Diamond andgraphite are two allotropic modifications of carbon (today they arenot considered the only allotropes of C any more!). Graphiteconducts electricity (only in onedimension), while diamond doesnot. Why is that? You canlook for an answer in Cotton book, but youcan also look for an answer online. Does it have to do withdiamonds having a crystal lattice, and graphite not being a crystallattice? WILL RATE LIFESAVER FORCORRECT ANSWER ASAP!! Diamond andgraphite are two allotropic modifications of carbon (today they arenot considered the only allotropes of C any more!). Graphiteconducts electricity (only in onedimension), while diamond doesnot. Why is that? You canlook for an answer in Cotton book, but youcan also look for an answer online. Does it have to do withdiamonds having a crystal lattice, and graphite not being a crystallattice? WILL RATE LIFESAVER FORCORRECT ANSWER ASAP!!

Explanation / Answer

Graphite is able to conduct electricity, due to delocalizationof the pi bond electrons above and below the planes of the carbonatoms. These electrons are free to move, so are able to conductelectricity.
                     However, the electricity is only conducted along the plane of thelayers. In diamond all four outer electrons of each carbon atom are'localised' between the atoms in covalent bonding. The movement ofelectrons is restricted and diamond does not conduct an electriccurrent.                      In graphite, each carbon atom uses only 3 of its 4 outer energylevel electrons in covalently bonding to three other carbon atomsin a plane. Each carbon atom contributes one electron to adelocalised system of electrons that is also a part of the chemicalbonding. The delocalised electrons are free to move throughout theplane.                     For this reason, graphite conducts electricity along the planes ofcarbon atoms, but does not conduct in a direction at right anglesto the plane

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