Home > Chemistry > Properties of ionic, covalent, and metallic compounds

Why are the melting point and boiling point of graphite so remarkably high?

Answer 1

Because graphite is a non-molecular species.......

Non-molecular materials, such as graphite, are made up of an infinite array of carbon atoms bound together in two dimensions. Graphite has an extremely high melting and boiling point, as do most non-molecular substances; I suspect that the boiling point is so high that measuring it would be impossible or nonexistent.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Ellie Andrews

Because graphite's layers of carbon atoms form strong covalent bonds that take a lot of energy to break, graphite has unusually high melting and boiling points.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.