Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

Statement 2 is incorrect because diamond is an electrical insulator, not a good conductor [1]. In diamond, each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms in a rigid three-dimensional tetrahedral structure, leaving no free electrons for electrical conduction. Conversely, graphite is a good conductor of electricity [1][3]. This is because in graphite, each carbon atom is linked to only three other carbon atoms in a hexagonal planar arrangement [3]. This sp2 hybridization leaves one valence electron per carbon atom free to delocalize throughout the layers, facilitating electrical flow [3]. Buckminsterfullerene (C60) is indeed a recognized allotrope of carbon, characterized by its football-like spherical arrangement of atoms [1][2]. Therefore, while graphite and fullerenes are allotropes with specific bonding patterns, the claim that diamond conducts electricity is false.

Sources

1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > Allotropes of carbon > p. 61
2. [3] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > Table 3.1 > p. 40
3. [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/buckminsterfullerene