Question

Being allotropes, why graphite conduct electricity but diamond don't

Answer 1

Graphite can conduct electricity because of the delocalised (free) electrons in its structure. These arise because each carbon atom is only bonded to 3 other carbon atoms. This leaves 1 electron to become delocalised.

Diamond is a bad conductor of electricity but good conductor of heat. Electricity is conducted in a crystal by electrons that are relatively free. But in diamond, each carbon atom is covalently bonded with four other carbon atoms and there are no free electrons.


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Answer 2

In diamond all are sp3 carbon atoms bonded tetrahedrally to four more carbon atoms
It is extremely hard so it won't conduct electricity
But in graphite all are sp2 hybridised and at each carbon atom the fourth valence electron is freely available so it is a good conductor