Question

What is the name of the hardest allotrope of carbon?

Hint:

Because of its hardness, diamond is used industrially for cutting, drilling, and grinding.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Allotropes are different structural forms of the same element in the same physical state. Carbon has several well-known allotropes.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In diamond, each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four other carbon atoms in a rigid three-dimensional tetrahedral network.
This extremely strong lattice structure makes diamond the hardest known natural substance.
Other allotropes like graphite are soft due to weak Van der Waals forces between layers.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The hardest allotrope is Diamond.