Polypropylene is a common plastic with the repeat unit shown below. Within each molecule, the atoms are bonded together by carbon covalent inter-atomic bonds. The melting temperature for polypropylene is around 190 °C.   Diamond is a metastable carbon polymorph with the diamond cubic structure at room temperature. The carbon atoms are bonded together by the same type carbon covalent bonds as in the polypropylene molecule. However, the melting temperature for diamond is more than 10 times higher than for polypropylene. Explain why the melting temperature of diamond is more than 10 times higher than that for polypropylene, even though both have the same type of bond between the carbon atoms.

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 Polypropylene is a common plastic with the repeat unit shown below. Within each molecule, the atoms are bonded together by carbon covalent inter-atomic bonds. The melting temperature for polypropylene is around 190 °C.

 

Diamond is a metastable carbon polymorph with the diamond cubic structure at room temperature. The carbon atoms are bonded together by the same type carbon covalent bonds as in the polypropylene molecule. However, the melting temperature for diamond is more than 10 times higher than for polypropylene.

Explain why the melting temperature of diamond is more than 10 times higher than that for polypropylene, even though both have the same type of bond between the carbon atoms.

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