Characteristic properties of materials are highly dependent on their atomic-scale structure. Diamond and graphite are both made up of carbon, yet their shape, strength, color, conductivity, hardness properties are completely different. Diamond, in one hand, is the hardest substance known in nature, transparent, poor conductor of electricity. On the other hand, graphite is soft, slippery to touch, black, opaque and is a good conductor of heat and electricity. The primary difference between diamond and graphite is in the way their carbon atoms are arranged to form their physical crystal structures. The arrangement of carbon atoms in diamonds makes them bond together strongly, while graphite atoms are held together with a weaker bond, creating a soft physical substance. Diamonds have a three dimensional network of strong covalent bonds, which makes it hard, but Graphite on the other hand has flat layers of carbon atoms held by weak van der Waal's forces which makes Graphite a weak object and easily breakable Hence, it is all related on the atomic structure and on how the atoms are ARRANGED in space.
1- XRD: X-ray/synchrotron diffraction on disordered crystals, nanocrystals, glasses and liquids. 2- XAFS: X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) measurments on disordered materials. 3- Computer Simulations: Computer simulation of the local structure of disordered materials
