B Covalent bonds in diamond

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When a diamond burns in the atmosphere at temperatures above 750°C, the covalent C-C bonds are broken, allowing a reaction with oxygen. This process is essentially oxidation, where carbon reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. The breaking of these bonds is crucial for the combustion to occur. The discussion emphasizes that chemical reactions inherently involve breaking and forming bonds. Understanding this process clarifies how diamonds can burn despite their strong covalent structure.
PatrickP2
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We all know that when we scratch a diamond with another diamond, millions and millions of covalent bonds are broken. I would like to ask what happens when a diamond burns in the atmosphere at temperatures above 750 C? Does the reaction of oxygen and carbon also break the bonds, or are we dealing with a different phenomenon here?
 
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Yes, explicitly chemical reactions involve the breaking and/or forming of bonds. In the case of diamond, the C-C bonds are broken, and C=O double bonds are formed.
 

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