Chapter 17, Problem 43R

To determine

To Describe: The geometric shapes of the carbon allotropes.

Explanation of Solution

There is a total of eight allotropes of carbon which are as follows:

1. Diamond: It is the hardest natural mineral. It has a shape like a cubic lattice. It is generally used in industries and in jewelry.
2. Graphite: It is a good conductor of electricity. It is most commonly used in pencils. It has a hexagonal shape.
3. Lonsdaleite: It turns into diamond due to heat and pressure but has the shape of the graphite.
4. Buckminsterfullerene: It has a shape like a hollow sphere. It is also known as C60. It is uses in treatment of tough cancers.
5. C540, Fullerite: It also has the shape of a hollow sphere like that of C60 created by using nanotech.
6. C70: It is like C540 and is also created by using the nanotech.
7. Amorphous carbon: It does not have any crystal structure of the atomic arrangement of carbon atoms. It contains crystallites of graphite and diamond.
8. Carbon nanotubes: It has shape like tube. These are stronger than diamonds. These conduct heat. These are used in the research process.