Allotropes of carbon

Allotropes of carbon are simply different types of the same thing - carbon. Carbon is a common material used in many everyday items like pencils, plastics, and even diamonds! Allotropes are when the same material is in different forms, and carbon has three common allotropes. The first is called diamond and is the hardest substance on earth. It is very shiny and used for jewellery and other things. The second is graphite, which is the softest material known to man. We often use graphite to make pencils because it is easy to write with. The third is called fullerenes and it looks like a ball of carbon. Scientists usually use this to study different kinds of chemicals.