Diamond (Oxford AQA IGCSE Combined Science Double Award)

Revision Note

Alexandra Brennan

Written by: Alexandra Brennan

Reviewed by: Stewart Hird

Properties of Diamond

What are the properties of diamond? 

  • Diamond is very hard because:

    • Each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four other carbon atoms

    • The covalent bonds are very strong 

    • Diamond being hard makes it useful for cutting tool

  • Diamond has a high melting point because:

    • It has a giant covalent structure 

    • There are strong covalent bonds between atoms which need lots of energy to break 

The bonding and structure in diamond

The diagram shows two different representations of diamond's giant covalent structure, and how each carbon atom is covalently bonded to 4 other carbon atoms
Each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms

Examiner Tips and Tricks

You should be able to relate the physical properties of diamond to its bonding arrangement and structure.

Last updated:

You've read 1 of your 5 free revision notes this week

Sign up now. It’s free!

Join the 100,000+ Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Alexandra Brennan

Author: Alexandra Brennan

Expertise: Chemistry

Alex studied Biochemistry at Newcastle University before embarking upon a career in teaching. With nearly 10 years of teaching experience, Alex has had several roles including Chemistry/Science Teacher, Head of Science and Examiner for AQA and Edexcel. Alex’s passion for creating engaging content that enables students to succeed in exams drove her to pursue a career outside of the classroom at SME.

Stewart Hird

Author: Stewart Hird

Expertise: Chemistry Lead

Stewart has been an enthusiastic GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and IB teacher for more than 30 years in the UK as well as overseas, and has also been an examiner for IB and A Level. As a long-standing Head of Science, Stewart brings a wealth of experience to creating Topic Questions and revision materials for Save My Exams. Stewart specialises in Chemistry, but has also taught Physics and Environmental Systems and Societies.

Download notes on Diamond