Origins, Uses, and Importance of Carbon
...bon dioxide. These two are the only carbon compounds which are not considered organic. Carbon forms so many compounds because it has four valence electrons. Carbon has an atomic number of six. Therefore, it has two electrons in its first energy shell and four in its outer energy shell. Since carbon wants eight electrons in its outer energy shell, it has the potential to form four covalent bonds with other carbon atoms or with different atoms. The valence electron configuration of carbon allows it to bond chemically with almost all other elements. It can be found in the sun, the stars, comets, and the atmospheres of most planets. There are close to ten million known carbon compounds, many thousands of which are vital to the basis of life itself. Carbon occurs in many forms in nature. All living things possess the element carbon within them. In light of this, Earth had to have rich supply of carbon to support a rich diversity of life. This carbon was made available by the volatile nature of the Earth in the beginning, where volcanoes spewed various elements into the Earth's atmosphere. All plants have carbon as their most important element. Without carbon plants would not exist. That means every animal on Earth also needs carbon to survive. You can't just eat carbon, it needs to be in plants before humans can do anything with it. When you see a diamond it is one big chunk of carbon. After a very long time and carbon is left in a very high pressure area, all of the atoms are pushed together to form a crystal. That crystal is called a diamond. The next time your family goes to a barbecue you'll know that the main ingredient of the charcoal is carbon. Carbon compounds store lots of energy and is good at holding onto heat. That's why it's used for charcoal. Take a l...