Graphite's electrical conductivity arises primarily from electrons that are delocalized within the carbon layers. Which statement is true?

Graphite's electrical conductivity arises primarily from electrons that are delocalized within the carbon layers. Which statement is true?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only at high pressure
• D. Only in solid state

Answer: (A)

Electrons that are delocalized within the carbon layers provide the main path for electric current in graphite. In each layer, the carbon atoms form a two-dimensional hexagonal network with sp2 hybridization, leaving pz orbitals that overlap across the plane. This creates a continuous pi-electron system, a sea of electrons that can move freely along the layer and carry charge, giving graphite its good electrical conductivity. Between layers, the forces are weak van der Waals bonds, so electrons don’t move easily from one layer to another. That’s why conductivity is much greater within the layers than between them, but the key point for the statement is the delocalized electrons in the layers themselves. So the claim is true: the conductivity arises primarily from electrons delocalized within the carbon layers. It doesn’t require high pressure, and while graphite is a solid under ordinary conditions, the essential idea is the in-layer delocalization, not the state of matter.

Electrons that are delocalized within the carbon layers provide the main path for electric current in graphite. In each layer, the carbon atoms form a two-dimensional hexagonal network with sp2 hybridization, leaving pz orbitals that overlap across the plane. This creates a continuous pi-electron system, a sea of electrons that can move freely along the layer and carry charge, giving graphite its good electrical conductivity.

Between layers, the forces are weak van der Waals bonds, so electrons don’t move easily from one layer to another. That’s why conductivity is much greater within the layers than between them, but the key point for the statement is the delocalized electrons in the layers themselves.

So the claim is true: the conductivity arises primarily from electrons delocalized within the carbon layers. It doesn’t require high pressure, and while graphite is a solid under ordinary conditions, the essential idea is the in-layer delocalization, not the state of matter.