Giant covalent structures
- Giant covalent structures are solids with high melting points
- They have a huge number of non-metal atoms bonded to other non-metal atoms via strong covalent bonds
- These structures can also be called giant lattices and have a fixed ratio of atoms in the overall structure
- Two examples include diamond and graphite
- All giant covalent structures have high melting points because:
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- There are strong covalent bonds between atoms
- These require lots of energy to overcome
Examiner Tip
Giant covalent structures can also be called macromolecules.