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The carbon atom is able to bond
with four other atoms, creating 20 million different possible compounds. The most
familiar are: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chloroform, methane, ethyl
alcohol, acetic acid and many others. In fact, carbon is invaluable for the building blocks of life.
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Carbon is found in the clothes that you wear, the food that you eat, the home
that you live in, the pencils that you write with, the fuel that propels your
car, the air that you breathe and every cell of your body. Life would on earth could not exist without carbon.
Types
of Carbon Materials
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Carbon takes the form of amorphous graphite,
charcoal, coal and diamonds. The reason for this is that the carbon atoms can
be arranged in different ways – known as ‘allotropes’. In graphite - such as that used in pencils, the atoms are
arranged in sheets. In diamond, the atoms are arranged in a rigid lattice (created
by heat and pressure). Oddly, carbon can be found in one of the softest and the
hardest natural elemental solids (graphite and diamond).
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Carbon is added to a multitude of man-made materials, including steel, plastics,
rubber, carbon fiber, Lycra, linen, glass and cotton. Its charcoal form was
even used in early gunpowder.
Carbon
Nanotubes in Fullerene
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A new type of carbon has been discovered, known as fullerene. The carbon atoms
are arranged in nanotubes – (small cylinders) or buckyballs (spheres). Fullerene
is hundreds of times stronger than steel and has caused much interest with nanotechnologists.
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Carbon Statistics
Atomic number: 6
Atomic weight: 12.0107
Atomic weight: 12.0107
State:
non metallic solid; clear (diamond) or black (graphite) forms
Category:
non metal
Melting
point: vaporizes before it melts
Sublimation
point: 3,642°C (6,588°F)
Carbon
Dioxide Cycle and Photosynthesis
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The carbon cycle describes how carbon is absorbed in plants from carbon dioxide
through photosynthesis before being returned to the atmosphere during decay. In effect, the carbon atom is being transformed into different states from gas (in carbon dioxide) to a solid compound (in the plant cells).
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Carbon dioxide traps heat from the sun like a greenhouse, hence the ‘greenhouse
effect.’ A contributing factor to the increased amount of carbon dioxide in our
atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels from oil and coal.
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Carbon is the fifteenth most abundant element that can be found in the earth’s
crust but is the fourth most abundant in the universe (after hydrogen, helium
and oxygen) but is the second most abundant element found in humans (after
oxygen). Without carbon, life could not exist on earth.
Graphite Pencils and Inks
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Carbon Symbol |
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Radiocarbon dating is possible thanks to an isotope known as carbon 14. It
takes over 5000 years for it to decay into nitrogen but does so consistently.
Because the amount of carbon in living things and the environment remains constant,
scientists can calculate the age of dead organic matter by how much carbon 14 has diminished within the cells.
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Charcoal can be taken in pill form to bond with toxins in the body such as heavy
metals, poisons or certain narcotics for removal. It can also be taken to treat
flatulence and reduce odors.
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