At ordinary temperatures and atmospheric pressure, carbon can exist in a solid crystalline form known as diamond.Carbon atoms in diamond are held together mainly by

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When considering the bonding in diamond, we start from its crystal structure where each carbon atom forms four strong bonds in a tetrahedral arrangement with neighboring carbons.
Option a: covalent bonding. This is the correct mechanism: each C–C bond is a directional, sharing of electron pairs in sp3 hybrid orbitals, creating a rigid three-dimensional network that accounts for diamond’s hardness and high melting point.
Option b: ionic bonding. Diamond does not consist of distinct positive and negative ions arranged in an electrostatic lattice; there is no complete electron transfer between atoms to generate ions, so ionic bonding is inappropriate here.
Option c: dispersion forces. While all molecules exhibit London dispersion forces to some extent, these weak interactions cannot account for the exceptionally strong, extensive network of covalent bonds that links every carbon in diamond’s lattice.
Option d: hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonds occur between hydrogen and highly electronegative atoms like O, N, or F in specific contexts. In diamond, there are no H–bonding interactions between carbon atoms; thus this option mischaracterizes the bonding scenario.
In summary, the distinctive, robust, and highly interconnected C–C bonds in diamond are best explained by covalent bonding forming a continuous network, which aligns with the observed properties of diamond.

MUF0041 Chemistry Unit 1 - Semester 1, 2025 Area of Study 3 Test 1(Gases/Solids/Liquids)

At ordinary temperatures and atmospheric pressure, carbon can exist in a solid crystalline form known as diamond.Carbon atoms in diamond are held together mainly by

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