However, what defines the difference in hardness of the two compounds is the lattice structure of the carbon atoms contained within diamonds containing three dimensional lattice bonds, and graphite containing two dimensional lattice bonds (layers of carbon sheets).
![pencil 2d layer transparency pencil 2d layer transparency](https://www.linux-magazine.com/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/issues/2019/229/tutorial-pencil2d/figure-4/757947-1-eng-US/Figure-4_reference.png)
Contrary to common belief, the chemical bonds in graphite are actually stronger than those that make up diamond.
![pencil 2d layer transparency pencil 2d layer transparency](https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/_images/grease-pencil_properties_onion-skinning_panel.png)
It is formed as a result of the reduction of sedimentary carbon compounds during metamorphism. Graphite is a mineral that naturally occurs in metamorphic rock in different continents of the world, including Asia, South America and some parts of North America. The mistake arose when it was first discovered, at which point because it is a form of carbon and contains a similar molecular make up to other members of the carbon group (though primarily due to the visual similarities), it was thought to be a form of lead. In fact, rather than referring to the chemical element and heavy metal, lead, this central core is most commonly made from graphite mixed with clay. Way back when you were at school, it is very likely that you would have come across the term ‘pencil lead’, referring to the central core of a pencil that is able to produce marks on paper and other material.
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In actuality, the structural make-up of graphite and graphene, and the method of how to create one from the other, is slightly different. In very basic terms graphene could be described as a single, one atom thick layer of the commonly found mineral graphite graphite is essentially made up of hundreds of thousands of layers of graphene. “ The attributes of graphene – transparency, density, electric and thermal conductivity, elasticity, flexibility, hardness resistance and capacity to generate chemical reactions with other substances – harbour the potential to unleash a new technological revolution of more magnificent proportions than that ushered in by electricity in the 19th century and the rise of the internet in the 1990s.” - LarrainVial