What Is Graphite And Bucky Balls?

These are the allotropic forms of carbon. Graphite is found naturally in Sri Lanka, Canada and America. It is also called lead black. It is composed of pure carbon. It is shiny and it is blackish brown in colour and is very soft as compared to diamond. It has a slippery nature. Its structure has layers of carbon atoms where each carbon atom is joined by covalent bonds to three other carbon atoms in the same layer. The week vandeer waal's forces between the layers are weak and enable the layer to slip pass each other. Graphite does not react with acids and oxidizing agents at ordinary temperature. It is used as electrodes in the process of electrolysis, as lubricant for different parts of the machines and as moderator in nuclear reactors. It is also used as black pigments.

In 1985 a new group of allotropic forms of carbon was discovered. These have carbon atoms ranging from forty to hundred. They are called bucky balls. Its molecules are made up of sixty carbon atoms. The carbon atoms fold around and make a ball shaped molecule.  The new molecule looks just like a football. The carbon atoms join together to form pentagon and hexagon structures.