Why is diamond the hardest metal known to man?

Question

Reiteration of question goes [here].

Okay, I know it's the hardest metal known to man. I don't need people explaining this to me.

Just tell me why.

Okay, I know it's the hardest metal known to man. I don't need people explaining this to me.

Just tell me why.

Edit: No, really guys. I KNOW it's a metal. You don't have to trick me just because it's a stupid question.

I'm tired of you guys lying. Thanks for nothing. Enjoy your AIDS and fail.

Answer 1

Diamond isnt a metal... and its only the hardest NATURAL material known to man
there are artificial (man made) materials harder than diamonds

Answer 2

A diamond isn't a metal. It is the Hardest known natural material and it can scratch any other natural material. The ability for one Nat. Material to scrath another determines it's hardness. So in order to scrath or cut a diamond you can only use another diamond. Or one of the two man made materials that are harder then natural dimaonds.

A diamonds is rated a 10 on the hardness scale (mohs). The scale is 1 to 10. Where each change is a doubleing of hardness, so a material rated as 10 would be twice as hard as a material rated as a 9. Glass has a hardness of 7 (depends on the type of glass, it can go up or down about 1 point) so that is why a real diamond can cut glass, but since a fake diamond is not as hard it usually will not cut glass.

Answer 3

Diamonds are not metals.. Alloy 1090 is the hardest known (carbon steel) and is surpassed only by non-metals like diamonds or rubies.

Answer 4

Well the first problem is that diamond is not a metal. You can't see through metals, for one thing, and it doesn't conduct electricity. Diamond is pure carbon, which is one of our handier non-metals. I suspect that you meant to say 'material,' not metal.

Diamond is hard because of the way the carbon atoms are arranged in the crystal. They're in a cube, and a cube that is incredibly sturdy. You can't break those carbon-to-carbon chemical bonds except by guile and extreme cleverness. And you can't even make them slip along each other, which is why a diamond isn't flexible like metal.

Answer 5

A diamond is carbon you penis!!

Diamond is an allotrope of carbon. It is the hardest known natural material and the third-hardest known material after aggregated diamond nanorods and ultrahard fullerite. Its hardness and high dispersion of light make it useful for industrial applications and jewelry

Answer 6

Well...it's not a metal. It is a crystalline solid. Most metals are (mostly) amorphous, that's why they are not as hard as a diamond. Diamond is hard because it has a very well ordered and dense atomic structure and also because of the strength of the bonds between the individual carbon atoms.

Answer 7

Dianond is so hard because it forms a tetrahedadal crystal formed of only carbon which naturally forms double bonds with itself.
So therefore the crystal is loched together by double bonds in all 3 dimensions.

Answer 8

A. its not. there's something harder.

B. Its the way the carbon is structured. Its "super covalent" and the bonds are really strong.

C. Other carbons like graphite has its bonds loosely scattered, theres little order. Diamond is rigid; every carbon is equidistant from everything.

Answer 9

Because the carbon-carbon bonding in crystalized carbon (diamond) is the strongest known natural bond.

Doug

Answer 10

A diamond is a rock that has been under pressure for thousands of years. Unlike metals you can heat a diamond and it will not melt, you can hit it with a hammer and it will not break. Pressure is the answer, simply pressure and time...