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Q.Are all the valence electrons of carbon atoms in graphite localized to specific covalent bonds?

Maharashtra MsbshseTextbookSubjectiveImportance★★★★★
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No. One of the four valence electrons of every graphite carbon is delocalised over the layer rather than tied to a specific bond.

Step 1. Carbon has four valence electrons. In graphite each carbon forms only three covalent (sigma) bonds with its three in-plane neighbours, so exactly three valence electrons per carbon are localized to specific bonds.

Step 2. The remaining fourth electron of every carbon occupies the p orbital perpendicular to the layer; these orbitals overlap continuously, so those electrons are delocalised over the entire layer and are free to move within it. …

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