Question

(a) The density of diamond is 3.5 g/cm³, and that of graphite is 2.3 g/cm³. Based on the structure of buckminsterfullerene, what would you expect its density to be relative to these other forms of carbon? (b) X-ray diffraction studies of buckminsterfullerene show that it has a face-centered cubic lattice of C₆₀ molecules. The length of an edge of the unit cell is 14.2 Å. Calculate the density of buckminsterfullerene.