Why the transition of diamond to graphite is so slow? Do I have to worry that one day I'll wake up and see graphite instead of my diamond?
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1The transition is so slow because chemistry. If that doesn't convince you, think of the prominent diamonds which have been known for centuries; they didn't turn to graphite, not a little bit. – Ivan Neretin May 26 '17 at 20:23
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There's another way to look at it. Diamond has an adamantane structure, while graphite has a hexagonal sheet structure. Imagine trying to change the structural arrangement of $6.023×10^{23}$ atoms. Even nature can't do such a difficult task so fast! – Pritt says Reinstate Monica May 27 '17 at 11:34