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Carbon (C)
Carbon (C)
Element 6 on the periodic table. A non-metallic element in group 4 (the carbon group).
Carbon is found in about 90%
of all known compounds, even though it is not especially plentiful. The isotope carbon-12 is the standard relative to which the atomic mass of all the other elements is measured. The isotope carbon-14 is radioactive and is used for radiocarbon dating.
Carbon makes crystalline diamond and graphite as well as the deposit called carbon black. Diamond – the hardest natural substance – is a transparent gemstone and is a poor conductor of electricity. It is used as a cutting tool. Graphite is opaque, soft and conducts electricity very well. Its slippery properties make it useful as a lubricant and as the ‘lead’ in pencils.
Of the many non-crystalline forms of carbon, the most common are coal, coke and charcoal. They are used as fuels. Charcoal can also filter gases, remove the colour from materials and go into gunpowder.
Carbon appears in all living matter.
 Carbon – The cutting down of trees has
a major effect on the natural carbon cycle because it removes a natural carbon-absorbing part of the environment (called a carbon ‘sink’). To maintain balance in the carbon cycle, trees have to be replanted as they are felled. This is happening in the temperate lands, but not in the tropics.
 Carbon – Plants need carbon to make the cells of their bodies. They extract carbon from carbon dioxide gas, using the energy in sunlight.
 Carbon – This is the atomic structure of diamond. It is built of interlocking carbon atoms with no room for other atoms to form part of the structure. That is why diamonds are so hard.
 Carbon – This piece of Kimberlite rock shows the way that most diamond occurs, as a dull yellowish mineral set in a rock background.
Carbon group elements
Another term for the group 4 elements on the periodic table, which include carbon (C), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn) and lead (Pb).
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