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Graphite

Key Stage 3

Meaning

Graphites is a soft black material made of pure carbon.

About Graphite

Graphite is very soft.
Graphite is used in pencils.

Key Stage 4

Meaning

Graphite is an allotrope of carbon in which the atoms are bonded in layers with a hexagonal arrangement.

GraphiteStructure.png
A diagram showing the arrangement of carbon atoms in graphite.

About Graphite

Graphite is a giant covalent structure.
Graphite is very soft.
Graphite has a high melting point.
Graphite is a good electrical conductor because it only uses 3 out of the 4 electrons in the outer shell to bond with other atoms allowing the last electron to move freely around the giant covalent structure.

References

AQA

Graphite, page 167, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA
Graphite, page 221, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
Graphite, page 33, 34, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Graphite, page 49, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
Graphite, page 87, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Chemistry, CGP, AQA
Graphite, page 89, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, AQA
Graphite, pages 118, 119, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Graphite, pages 54-55, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA
Graphite, pages 56-7, 77, 82-3, 91, 91, 130, GCSE Chemistry; Student Book, Collins, AQA

Edexcel

Graphite, page 24, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Graphite, pages 62, 63, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, Edexcel

OCR

Graphite, page 21, Gateway GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Graphite, page 94, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Graphite, pages 74-75, 79, Gateway GCSE Chemistry, Oxford, OCR