Diamonds are clear and see-through yet they are made of highly pressurized carbon which if you see in its unpressurized state looks like black powder or a handful of ash, What happens to cause it to become see-through like that. For that matter the same question for sand and silica into glass.
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For the same reason that sodium is a soft silvery metal that explodes in the presence of water and chlorine is a green poisonous gas but sodium chloride is table salt that is required for life. When two or more elements combine, their chemical and physical attriubutes can change significantly.
Imagine this. Have a bunch of dominoes randomly standing up at eye level. You can’t look though them. Now line them all up in the same ordered direction in little lines. You can look through them to the other side. That’s the difference between an amorphous solid (random) and a crystal (ordered). Carbon coal is random. Diamonds are ordered crystals.
For the same reason that sodium is a soft silvery metal that explodes in the presence of water and chlorine is a green poisonous gas but sodium chloride is table salt that is required for life. When two or more elements combine, their chemical and physical attriubutes can change significantly.
The color as well as the energy of light is determined by its wavelength. When light hits a molecule, the light can be absorbed and its energy transferred to one of the molecule’s electrons, putting it into a higher energy state, but only if the energy of the light is exactly equal to the difference in energy between the states of the electron. Therefore, certain molecules can only absorb certain energies, i.e. colors, of light.
In a diamond, all the carbon atoms are arranged into a neat crystal structure where each carbon atom has four single bonds to four other carbon atoms ([see here](https://www.chemguide.co.uk/14to16/structure/diamond.gif)). The electrons in these single bonds are very happy where they are and require a lot of energy to be put into a higher energy state. The energy of light increases as its wavelength decreases and therefore only invisible ultraviolet light has enough energy to be absorbed by the electrons in a diamond. Visible light can not be absorbed and therefore a diamond is clear.
Other forms of carbon are black because they have bonds where the electrons are easier to excite to a higher energy state. In graphite ([structure of graphite](https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-54f68b376f67539dbfa28910d245c65d-pjlq)) for example, there are lots of double bonds between carbons, and these double bonds create a system of easily excitable pi electrons that can absorb many different energy levels. All wavelengths (=colors) of light can be absorbed and when every color of light is absorbed, the substance appears black.
Coal is similar. Coal is mostly amorphous carbon, i.e. carbon atoms bound together without any global structure. There are also double bonds and “dangling” electrons that can be excited by different visible wavelengths of light and therefore amorphous carbon also absorbs all colors and appears black.
Imagine this. Have a bunch of dominoes randomly standing up at eye level. You can’t look though them. Now line them all up in the same ordered direction in little lines. You can look through them to the other side. That’s the difference between an amorphous solid (random) and a crystal (ordered). Carbon coal is random. Diamonds are ordered crystals.
The color as well as the energy of light is determined by its wavelength. When light hits a molecule, the light can be absorbed and its energy transferred to one of the molecule’s electrons, putting it into a higher energy state, but only if the energy of the light is exactly equal to the difference in energy between the states of the electron. Therefore, certain molecules can only absorb certain energies, i.e. colors, of light.
In a diamond, all the carbon atoms are arranged into a neat crystal structure where each carbon atom has four single bonds to four other carbon atoms ([see here](https://www.chemguide.co.uk/14to16/structure/diamond.gif)). The electrons in these single bonds are very happy where they are and require a lot of energy to be put into a higher energy state. The energy of light increases as its wavelength decreases and therefore only invisible ultraviolet light has enough energy to be absorbed by the electrons in a diamond. Visible light can not be absorbed and therefore a diamond is clear.
Other forms of carbon are black because they have bonds where the electrons are easier to excite to a higher energy state. In graphite ([structure of graphite](https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-54f68b376f67539dbfa28910d245c65d-pjlq)) for example, there are lots of double bonds between carbons, and these double bonds create a system of easily excitable pi electrons that can absorb many different energy levels. All wavelengths (=colors) of light can be absorbed and when every color of light is absorbed, the substance appears black.
Coal is similar. Coal is mostly amorphous carbon, i.e. carbon atoms bound together without any global structure. There are also double bonds and “dangling” electrons that can be excited by different visible wavelengths of light and therefore amorphous carbon also absorbs all colors and appears black.
Things have color since photons interact with electrons over various ranges. If electrons cannot interact with photons, they turn transparent.
Diamond and other transparent materials have electrons that are so tightly packed they have no place to go when they would interact with photons, so they can’t interact.
Things have color since photons interact with electrons over various ranges. If electrons cannot interact with photons, they turn transparent.
Diamond and other transparent materials have electrons that are so tightly packed they have no place to go when they would interact with photons, so they can’t interact.
A carbon atom doesnt absorb light by itself . It is better to say that the bonds between the atoms absorb the light. The bonds in diamond are different than the bonds in say coal, and dont interact with visible light.
A carbon atom doesnt absorb light by itself . It is better to say that the bonds between the atoms absorb the light. The bonds in diamond are different than the bonds in say coal, and dont interact with visible light.
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