Moreover, carbon has the highest melting/ sublimation point of all elements. Carbon compounds form the basis of all life on Earth and the carbon-nitrogen cycle provides some of the energy produced by the Sun and other stars. Because of these properties, carbon is known to form nearly ten million different compounds, the large majority of all chemical compounds. Moreover, it has a great affinity for bonding with other small atoms, including other carbon atoms, and its small size makes it capable of forming multiple bonds. Its different forms include the hardest naturally occurring substance ( diamond) and one of the softest substances ( graphite) known. The isotope carbon-14 is commonly used in radioactive dating.Ĭarbon is a remarkable element for many reasons. When combined with both oxygen and hydrogen it can form many groups of compounds including fatty acids, which are essential to life, and esters, which give flavor to many fruits. When united with hydrogen, it forms various compounds called hydrocarbons which are essential to industry in the form of fossil fuels.
When united with oxygen it forms carbon dioxide, which is vital to plant growth. This nonmetal also has the interesting chemical property of being able to bond with itself and a wide variety of other elements, forming nearly ten million known compounds.
An abundant nonmetallic, tetravalent element, carbon has several allotropic forms.Ĭarbon occurs in all organic life and is the basis of organic chemistry. Carbon ( IPA: /ˈkɑːbən/) is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol C and atomic number 6.
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