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Graphite and diamond are the same element. Only the arrangement of the atoms is different.

Chemistry Facts, sourced to Royal Society of Chemistry.

What it means

In diamond every carbon atom is bonded to four others in a rigid three dimensional cage, and the result is the hardest natural material there is. In graphite the atoms lie in flat sheets that slide over one another, which is why a pencil leaves a mark. Same atoms, same purity, wildly different substance. Diamond is the less stable of the two and is slowly turning into graphite.

The claim comes from Royal Society of Chemistry, and the page it comes from was read on 2026-08-27 to confirm it still says this.

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