GCSE · Chemistry · AQA · Spec 8462
Diamond
Diamond’s properties make sense once you picture every carbon atom locked into four covalent bonds.
What you need to know
- Each carbon atom in diamond forms four covalent bonds with other carbon atoms.
- Diamond has a giant covalent structure.
- Its structure and bonding make diamond very hard and give it a very high melting point.
- Diamond does not conduct electricity, and its properties should be explained using its structure and bonding.
The big picture
Diamond has a giant covalent structure made entirely of carbon atoms. Each carbon atom forms four covalent bonds with other carbon atoms. This structure and bonding make diamond very hard, give it a very high melting point and mean that it does not conduct electricity. The key skill is linking each property back to the structure and bonding.
TONIGHT'S REVISION
Diamond
Four covalent bonds per carbon atom build the structure behind diamond’s distinctive properties.
Structure explains properties
Reason it through
How does diamond’s bonding connect to its properties?
First link · your turn
Start with one carbon atom: how many covalent bonds does it form?
Build the explanation
Follow the reasoning from one carbon atom to the properties of the whole substance.
Relationship matrix
Tap any cell to reveal it. Tap a column header to read one property down every item.
Each cell hides a short answer and the reason behind it. Predict before you tap.
Predict from the structure
Use the bonding information before revealing the property set.
A substance is diamond: each carbon atom forms four covalent bonds in a giant covalent structure. Which property set matches it?
Explain, don't just list
Problem
Explain the properties of diamond in terms of its structure and bonding.
Key points
Worked example
Problem
Explain why diamond is very hard and has a very high melting point.
Memory hook
Four bonds, giant structure, three properties: hard, high melting point, no electrical conduction.
⚠ Watch out
Listing diamond’s properties without linking them back to its structure and bonding.
Check yourself
How would you connect diamond’s four covalent bonds per carbon atom to its properties?
Flashcards
(6)How many covalent bonds does each carbon atom form in diamond?
What type of structure does diamond have?
What is diamond’s hardness like?
What is diamond’s melting point like?
Does diamond conduct electricity?
What should explanations of diamond’s properties refer to?
Tap any card to flip it, or use Study as deck to go through them one at a time. In the full lesson these run as a spaced-repetition deck — you rate each card Hard, Good or Easy and the tricky ones keep coming back until they stick.
Learn Diamond properly — interactive practice, marked questions and flashcards.
Start this lesson freeMore AQA GCSE Chemistry topics
- Atoms, elements and compounds
- Chemical bonds (ionic, covalent, metallic)
- Conservation of mass and balanced equations
- Covalent bonding
- Development of the model of the atom
- Development of the periodic table
- Electronic structure
- Flame emission spectroscopy
- Giant covalent structures
- Graphene and fullerenes
- Group 0 noble gases
- Group 1 alkali metals
How this lesson was checked. This AQA GCSE Chemistry (specification 8462)lesson was published through Lightbulb Learning's human-designed editorial process — the educational standards, accuracy rules and publication checks it must pass were authored and approved by Philip Halpin. It passed subject-specific assessment, automated educational checks and technical publication verification before going live (publication checks completed 13 August 2026). Published pages are monitored, human spot-checking is ongoing across the lesson library, and anything found wrong is corrected or withdrawn. How our lessons are made and checked. Spotted a mistake? Email hello@lightbulblearning.co and we'll review it.