# Explain why fullerene C₆₀ has a much lower melting point than diamond, despite both being composed entirely of carbon atoms.

> IB DP Chemistry Standard Level (2023 syllabus) — S2.4 From models to materials · Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Diamond has a giant covalent (network covalent / macromolecular) structure, whereas C₆₀ fullerene has a simple molecular structure.
2. Melting diamond requires breaking strong covalent C–C bonds throughout the entire lattice, requiring very large amounts of energy.
3. In C₆₀, the intermolecular forces between discrete molecules are weak London (dispersion) forces.
4. Only these weak intermolecular forces need to be overcome to melt C₆₀, so much less energy is required, resulting in a lower melting point.

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