The table below lists selected macroscopic properties for three solids at 298 K

CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · AP · Chemistry · Compound Structure and Properties · Compound Structure and Properties

Problem

The table below lists selected macroscopic properties for three solids at 298 K.
PropertyDiamondGraphite (in-plane)Copper
Electrical resistivity (Ω·m)1.0×10121.0 \times 10^{12}4.0×10−54.0 \times 10^{-5}1.7×10−81.7 \times 10^{-8}
Mohs hardness1013
Use the information provided, together with your knowledge of bonding and structure, to answer the following questions. (1) Part 1: (a) Rank the three solids from best to poorest electrical conductor and justify the ranking in terms of electron mobility and bonding. (2) Part 2: (b) Copper is malleable, whereas a sheet of graphite tends to flake rather than bend even though graphite is softer than copper. Explain this difference in mechanical behavior by comparing the nature of bonding in the two solids. (3) Part 3: (c) Engineers sometimes explore diamond films as potential conductors in high-temperature electronic devices. Discuss one structural reason why bulk diamond is generally unsuitable for this purpose, despite its high thermal stability.

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