Question

Bonding present between the carbon atoms in graphite is.
A. Metallic
B. Ionic
C. Covalent
D. van der Waal forces

Answer 1

Hint: Graphite is a network solid which has a layered structure. It is quite slippery in structure. It is having a high melting point. It has a layered structure and is insoluble in water and organic solvents.

Complete step by step answer:
Graphite is a giant covalent network solid consisting of layers of carbon atoms. In graphite, carbon atoms have four valence electrons that are available for bonding out of which three bonds to another atom, and one is free.
In the structure of graphite, each carbon atom is covalently bonded to three other carbon atoms. So every carbon atom has one electron that is not used for bonding. The carbon atoms form layers with other carbon atoms with a hexagonal arrangement of atoms.
So the carbon atoms in graphite are surrounded together by strong covalent bonds.

So, the correct answer is Option C.

Additional information:
Graphite is an allotrope of carbon that has less density than diamond due to space which is a useless present between the sheets. Graphite is a good conductor of electricity due to the free electrons present which can move freely. Due to weak forces between the layers, it can slide over each other. It is the most stable form of carbon and gets converted to the diamond at high temperatures and pressure.

Note: The spare electrons in each carbon atom are delocalized over the whole sheet of atoms in one layer. The sheets in the graphite are held together by the van der Wal force of attraction and the atoms are held by covalent bonds. Graphite has a layered structure where two-dimensional planes of carbon atoms are arranged in such a manner that it forms a three-dimensional covalent network solid.