Resource: Diamond Formation
Media Type:
QuickTime Video
Length: 0m 51s
Size: 2.3 MB
A diamond is a transparent gem made of carbon, one of Earth's most abundant elements. Most diamonds were formed billions of years ago in the molten rock of Earth's mantle. It is here that the right amount of pressure and heat transforms carbon into a diamond. In this video segment from Nature, the formation of a diamond is further explained.
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Transcript (Rich Text Format Document)
Loading reviews...Teachers' Domain, Diamond Formation, published November 18, 2008, retrieved on ,
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/nat08.earth.geol.min.formation/
- Background Essay
- Questions for Discussion
- Standards
Print Background EssayDiamonds are minerals that are valued for their durability, beauty, and rarity. They form deep in the earth under conditions of extreme heat and pressure, and are brought to the surface of the earth by the forces of volcanism and weathering. Generally, diamonds - and the rocks they’re found in - are very old. Studying diamonds, therefore, can help scientists reconstruct the processes that were central to the formation of the earth itself.
The physical properties of a diamond are determined more by the crystal structure of the diamond than by its composition - consider that diamond and graphite, despite their vastly different physical properties, are both composed of pure carbon. Every mineral is characterized a particular type of crystalline structure that is largely responsible for its physical properties.
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See Also:
K-12 Subject:
Natural Resources
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Source: Nature: "Diamonds"
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Major corporate support for the Nature collection was provided by Canon U.S.A. and SC Johnson. Additional support was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the nation’s public television stations.