Why does diamond disintegrate when heated to carbon atoms instead of melting first?

Answer

Hi Lauren,

Diamond is actually one of the solid states of carbon. Graphite is the other. Both diamond and graphite consist of pure carbon, but differ from each other in the arrangement of the atoms.

Carbon (whether diamond or graphite) can indeed become liquid, namely from a temperature of about 4500 °C and a pressure of about 100 000 atm.

At that pressure and temperature there is an equilibrium between liquid carbon, graphite and diamond. This is a so-called triple point.

These are not direct circumstances that you encounter every day!