[Quantumcat]

Please can someone tell me if powdered graphite will conduct electricity, and if powdered metals will.

We recently did a chem prac in which we had to find the bonds in each of four substances, with a method of our own. Substances C and D did not dissolve in hexane, glycerol, or heated water, did not conduct electricity (as a powder), did not melt on a metal tray on a Bunsen burner.

They could either be metals or giant covalent things. I didn't think they could be metals because otherwise they would have reacted with oxygen and they would be covalent molecular substances instead of metals, and we wouldn't be able to get the properties properly. The metals that don't react with oxygen would be too expensive to give to us to play with (imagine being given platinum in class, mm) and if one or both were silver, they should have melted on the tray on the bunsen burner (m.p. of 960 degrees or so)

I thought they were probably silica and graphite, esp since C was white and D was grey. But if graphite conducts in powder then it couldn't be.

Oh and P.S. what is the average temperature of the hottest flame of a bunsen burner?? Thanks!

PPS does silica burn if heated? when testing the melting point substance C darkened. it may have mixed with something else on the tray but I'm fairly sure it did blacken.

[Mitch]

I wouldn't expect powdered graphite to conduct electricity.