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Hardest Substance


Mercedes Benzene

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What is the hardest substance known to man?

 

Is it indeed diamond? Or is there some synthetic substance that's harder?

If the latter is true, what makes it so hard?

 

Also, another thing to ponder: What's the most resilient substance known to man? I don't so much mean hardness but the ability to resist damage.

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According to the wiki on hardness:

The hardest substance known today is aggregated diamond nanorods, with a hardness 1.11 times diamond. Estimates from proposed molecular structure indicate the hardness of beta carbon nitride should also be greater than diamond (but less than ultrahard fullerite). This material has not yet been successfully synthesized.

 

:D

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And with why they're the hardest: it's because the atoms are in a consistent structure of some form. Right ? (I think that's right...)

 

Yes, but it would be more accurate to say crystal structure.

The hardest diamonds in the world are from the New England area in New South Wales, Australia. These diamonds are generally small, perfect to semiperfect octahedra, and are used to polish other diamonds. Their hardness is considered to be a product of the crystal growth form, which is single stage growth crystal. Most other diamonds show more evidence of multiple growth stages, which produce inclusions, flaws, and defect planes in the crystal lattice all of which affect their hardness.[8]

Diamond - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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  • 8 months later...
Aggregate Diamond Nano-rods are harder, and synthetic. Diamonds are the hardest natural substance. However, their hardness also makes them the most resilient/damage resistant. Diamonds make a good gemstone because they can only be scratched by another diamond and therefore keep their luster longer.

 

Diamond - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

I would have to disagree with part of your statement, while diamonds are the hardest natural substnace know they are not very resilient. a diamond can be crushed very easily, they break when hit. Most really hard substances are quite brittle when struck. Or were you not refering to that property?

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Also, another thing to ponder: What's the most resilient substance known to man? I don't so much mean hardness but the ability to resist damage.

Many insecticides and a good nuking by a pest control company later, I have to conclude that nothing beats the cockroach. :hihi:
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  • 1 month later...

Doesn't sound like it Nitack...

 

When we say "Hard", do we mean the density of the substance and the amount of atoms fit into a given space, or hard as in ability to resist damage? Or is it a combination of both? Scientifically, it must have a specific meaning to say Diamond is the hardest substance.

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Doesn't sound like it Nitack...

 

When we say "Hard", do we mean the density of the substance and the amount of atoms fit into a given space, or hard as in ability to resist damage? Or is it a combination of both? Scientifically, it must have a specific meaning to say Diamond is the hardest substance.

 

Perhaps it is not my fault for putting the requisite laughing smiley after the link... but you totally missed the joke.;)

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  • 1 month later...

So if someone were to build themselves a diamond house (for the sake of privacy in the question they painted it) and a nuclear war were to hit in the vicinity of the house, would the house survive? would it absorb the nuclear radiation? and would it stay intact?

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So if someone were to build themselves a diamond house (for the sake of privacy in the question they painted it) and a nuclear war were to hit in the vicinity of the house, would the house survive? would it absorb the nuclear radiation? and would it stay intact?

 

It would not stay intact.

 

Diamonds are very brittle - they crack and shatter like glass. It would be difficult to build a structure in normal conditions.

 

 

If the house were painted then it would absorb the thermal radiation of a nuclear bomb. The ultraviolet, visible, and infrared rays that normally cause severe burns are blocked by any material that is opaque. Ionizing radiation such as gamma rays however would penetrate. Nuclear fallout depends on how sealed to outside air it is.

 

Effects of nuclear explosions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

~modest

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so obviously in this case a diamond house would be the stupidest thing to build a house for. but wood would shatter just as easily.. so the only thing that can be still intact is a concrete nuclear fallout shelter?

 

The only things that could protect you from a nuclear blast would be distance and mass. the further away you are the better off you are and the more mass between you and the explosion the better off you are. personally I would trade a concret bunker for not being on the same side of the world in a heart beat!

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