I help you get things that are ever so
sweet
Like diamonds which form under much intense heat.
In nature Carbon is found,
It is in the air and helps plants in the ground. |
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History:
Carbon was discovered by the ancients back in prehistoric times.
The name Carbon comes from the Latin word carbo, which means
coal. It was known since ancient times but it was not recognized
as an element until much later on. The earliest known use was
by the Egyptians and Sumerians. It was used as wood chars (charcoal)
and used for the decrease of copper, zinc and tin ores in the
making of bronze. Charcoal was also used as a smokeless fuel.
Carbon is found free in nature in three allotropic forms; graphite,
diamond, fullerenes, and nanotubes. These will be explained
later on.
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Uses:
Carbon is the 19th most abundant element, which means that it
is the 19th most well supplied material compared with the other
elements. It makes up about 0.2% of the earth’s outer
crust. It is in the earth’s atmosphere, and carbon is
present as carbon dioxide up to 0.03% by volume. It is commonly
found in nature and it is a main “ingredient” of
all animals and vegetables. Carbon is found in all living organisms
such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and nucleic acid. The
study of carbon is called biochemistry. Carbon dioxide is used
in fire extinguishers, drink’s carbonation, and in a solid
state, as dry ice. It is also used as filters and steel. Carbon
is also found in most plastics, graphite for pencils, but probably
the most important form of carbon is diamonds, and we all know
that diamonds rock!
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Isotopes:
Carbon has 7 isotopes and three of those are naturally occurring.
The isotopes of carbon are carbon-12. Carbon-13 is the only
magnetic isotope, which makes it really important to study the
structures of compounds that have carbon in it: and carbon-14
is made by cosmic rays that hit the atmosphere with high energy
particles and carbon-14 is radioactive. Atoms of all isotopes
of carbon contain 6 protons and 6 electrons, but they differ
in their number of neutrons.
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Diamonds:
A diamond is a crystalline form of carbon, where each carbon
atom is bonded strongly to four other carbon atoms. The result
is a solid that is extremely hard and non-reactive. Industrial
chemists are able to make diamonds artificially but these
diamonds are not considered beautiful enough to use as gems.
Natural diamonds are found in ancient volcanic "pipes"
such as found in South Africa. Diamonds are also recovered
from the ocean floor off the Cape of Good Hope. Artificial
diamonds are made by the application of heat and pressure.
Diamond is the third naturally occurring form of carbon and
is one of the hardest substances known. Diamonds work well
in cutting tools, such as drills. A fun fact about diamonds
is that it is also used in the dentist’s office as one
of the tools used to drill in your teeth.
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Biological
Importance:
All living organisms contain carbon; the human body is about
18% carbon. In green plants carbon dioxide and water are combined
to form simple sugars called carbohydrates. The energy from
the sun is stored in the chemical bonds of the sugar molecule.
Anabolism is the synthesis of complex compounds like fats,
proteins, and nucleic acids to form simpler substances and
it involves the utilization of energy stored by photosynthesis.
This continuing synthesis involving carbon dioxide is known
as the carbon cycle.
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Economic
Importance:
It is a component of rocks as carbonates of calcium (limestone),
magnesium, and iron. Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are chiefly
hydrocarbons. Carbon is unique among the elements in the vast
number of variety of compounds it can form. Carbon-13 was commercially
available at a cost of about $700/g. Carbon is available in
several forms including amorphous, powder, graphite rods, diamond,
'bucky tubes', foil, sheet, and wire. Amorphous carbon is formed
when a material containing carbon is burned without enough oxygen
for it to burn completely.
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| Table |
| Atomic Number |
6 |
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| Color |
Black |
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| Chemical Symbol |
C |
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| Classification |
Non Metal |
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| Melting Point |
3500°C |
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| Boiling Point |
3800°C |
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| Carbon
mixes with Tantalum to make the hardest materials in the world. To
learn more about Tantaulum, check out Avee
Arvind web page. |
| Glossary |
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Glossary:
1. Allotropic: One of many forms in which a chemical element occurs,
each differing in physical properties: Example: diamonds and coal
as forms of carbon.
2. Isotopes: Atoms of the same element that have different numbers
of neutrons.
3. Carbohydrates: A compound containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
that is an important source of food and energy.
4. Fats: A nutritional component of food.
5. Protein: A complex natural in food.
6. Nucleic Acids: Acid found in all living cells
7. Photosynthesis: A process by which green plants and other organisms
turn carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen, using
light energy trapped by chlorophyll.
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/photosynthesis.html
8. Carbon Cycle: The exchange
of carbon between living organisms and the environment. To learn
more go to: http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/carbon%2520cycle.html
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| Bibliography |
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Bibliography:
1. “Carbon.” Encyclopedia.com. March 25, 2005. http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/carbon_PropertiesandIsotopes.asp.
2. "Carbon." Chemistry: Web Elements Periodic Table. 12
Jan. 2008 <http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/C/key.html>.
3. "Carbon." Los Alamos National Laboratory's Chemistry
Division. 13 Dec. 2003. 12 Jan. 2008 <http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/6.html>.
4. Gagnon, Steve. "Carbon." Jefferson Lab. 12 Jan. 2008
<http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele006.html>.
5. "Dictionary.” Msn Encarta. 25 March 2008 http://www.msnencarta.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx
6. "Headings." Flaming Text. March 25, 2008. http://flamingtext.com/start.html
7. Yinon Bentor. "Periodic Table: Carbon." Chemical Elements.
March 25, 2008. http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/c.html
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