Boxi Learn › Chemistry › Stage 3 · Structure and Evidence
Same atoms, different stuff
CHEM-2 Structure decides propertiesX-3 Look from another side
What many people think
Atoms have the properties of the substance they make up.
The idea
Properties come from how atoms are arranged, not from the atoms themselves: graphite and diamond are both pure carbon.
Explain it
A friend says diamond is hard because diamond atoms are hard. Use graphite to show why that cannot be right.
Try at home
Rub a soft pencil (2B or softer) on paper until there is a dark patch, then rub it with your finger. Feel how slippery it is: sheets of carbon sliding off. Then try to scratch glass with the pencil tip (careful): nothing happens.