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The element carbon
Introduction:
Many of the things we use in our day-to-day lives like wheat, rice,
vegetables, fruits, clothes, baking soda etc. all contain carbon. Carbon
is in the pencils we use, the diamonds we wear and the drill tips
industries use. Carbon is everywhere. Carbon not only makes our lives
convenient but, in the form of hydrocarbons, is a crucial component of
life itself. ...
Carbon is the sixth element in the periodic table and is one of the most widely known non-metals. ... Since this energy shell can hold eight electrons, each carbon atom can share electrons with up to four different atoms. Carbon can combine with other elements as well as with itself. This allows carbon to form many different compounds of varying size and shape.
Carbon alone forms the familiar substances graphite and diamond. Both are made only of carbon atoms. ... If both are made only of carbon what gives them different properties? The answer lies in the way the carbon atoms form bonds with each other. ... pg 154
All about graphite
Graphite is a particular form of carbon distinguished by hexagonal crystallinity. As with all other carbon occurrences, natural graphite is widely distributed throughout the world. Also, like the other commercially important crystalline forms of carbon, diamond; graphite can be manufactured from non-graphitic carbons. ... It occurs naturally in the earth’s crust and is the most abundant form of pure carbon
Amorphous Graphite: Soft, non-crystalline graphite; used in pencils,, etc. ... This product is used in the manufacture of high-energy lithium-flourine batteries, etc
Atomic Structure
Carbon has six electrons, 4 of the electrons are in its valence shell (outershell). ... Actually it is not possible to know exactly where the electrons are located (see below)
A better way to look at carbon is by using an energy level graph shown at the right. Here we see carbon has six electrons represented by arrows (the direction of the arrow represents the electron spin) Two electrons are found in the 1s orbital close to the nucleus. ... For example, there are three kinds of carbon atom 12C, 13C and 14C. ...
protons neutrons mass number
carbon 12 6 6 12
carbon 13 6 7 13
carbon 14 6 8 14
These different types of carbon are called isotopes. The fact that they have varying numbers of neutrons makes no difference to the chemical reactions of the carbon. ...
Click on image for VRML
There are strong covalent bonds between carbon atoms in each layer. ... This allows layers of carbon to slide overeach other in graphite.
On the other hand, in diamond each carbon atom is the same distance to each of its neighboring carbon atoms. ...
Formation of Diamonds
Diamonds are made of carbon that crystallized under conditions of extreme temperature and pressure. ...
FORMATION OF COAL
Coal is a combustible, black sedimentary rock composed predominantly of carbon. ... It is largely pure carbon . ... , water) pass off as vapors into the air, some of the carbon is consumed as fuel, and the rest of the carbon is converted into charcoal. ... Charcoal, being almost pure carbon, yields a larger amount of heat in proportion to its volume than is obtained from a corresponding quantity of wood; as a fuel it has the further advantage of being smokeless. ...
FORMATION OF GAS CARBON
gas obtained in the destructive distillation of soft coal, as a byproduct in the preparation of coke . Its composition varies, but in general it is made up largely of hydrogen and methane with small amounts of other hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas), carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. ...
Natural carbon can exist in several forms. ... Sometimes these are mistakenly called a "new form of carbon"; in fact, fullerenes have been found to exist in interstellar dust as well as in geological formations on Earth.
Approximate Word count = 3078
Approximate Pages = 12.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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