ok . im confused
carbon atoms have a less mass than silicon. Diamonds are made of carbon. But diamons are more dense than silicon. Whys that?
2007-03-22 18:36:20 · 6 answers · asked by ♥ hey! 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Although silicon has a valence of 4, it tends not to form double and triple bonds, as carbon does. In diamond, each carbon atom is bound to four other carbon atoms. That means four other atoms are close enough to it that its electrons orbit, not just its own nucleus, but also the nucleii of its four neighbors. This makes for an extremely dense crystal. This more than makes up for the fact that the atomic weight of silicon is more than twice that of carbon.
2007-03-22 19:45:38 · answer #1 · answered by Frank N 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the arrangement of atoms which determines density. For example, carbon atoms can be arranged as diamonds (densely), or they can be arranged as charcoal (much less dense). Diamonds are arranged in a crystal pattern which is particularly stable -- that is, the atoms of carbon are bound together by especially strong bonds due to their physical alignment as a lattice. Silicon, if you mean when it's arranged as glass, is not a crystal but a homogenous mass and so it's much more prone to coming apart under stress.
2007-03-23 01:41:43 · answer #2 · answered by charmedchiclet 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Density is mass/volume. So if the carbon atoms in a diamond are positioned so that there are more atoms per given volume than silicon, even if the mass of an individual silicon atom is greater, the density of a diamond will be greater still.
2007-03-23 01:40:44 · answer #3 · answered by misoma5 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Due to its lattice structure and arrangement of carbon atoms
2007-03-23 01:47:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
me too
no wait, its because it's compressed tighter then silicon
2007-03-23 01:39:46 · answer #5 · answered by mikedrazenhero 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
something to do with intermolecular force and electronegativity
2007-03-23 01:38:48 · answer #6 · answered by Emilyy<3 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋