Carbon – Astroseekers.club

Carbon is one of the most important elements to life on the human’s planet. It forms more compounds than any other element and forms the basis to all plant and animal life. Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe by mass and the second most abundant element in the body of humans.

The element carbon

Symbol: C
Atomic Number: 6
Atomic Weight: 12.011
Classification: Nonmetal
Phase at Room Temperature: Solid
Density: amorphous: 1.8 to 2.1, diamond: 3.515, graphite: 2.267 grams per cm cubed
Melting Point (diamond): 3550°C, 6442°F
Boiling Point (diamond): 4200°C, 7600°F
Sublimation Point (graphite): 3642°C, 6588°F
Discovered by: Carbon has been known about since ancient times

Characteristics and Properties

Carbon is found on Earth in the form of three different allotropes including amorphous, graphite, and diamond. Allotropes are materials made from the same element, but their atoms fit together differently. Each allotrope of carbon has different physical properties.

In its diamond allotrope, carbon is the hardest known substance in nature. It also has the highest thermal conductivity of any element. Diamond is transparent in color. Graphite, on the other hand, is one of the softest materials and is black-gray in color. Graphite is a good electrical conductor. Amorphous carbon is generally black and is used to describe coal and soot.

One of the key characteristics of carbon is its ability to make long chains of molecules through linking up with other carbon atoms. Carbon also has the highest melting point of all the elements.