C FOR CARBON ---- LIFE ELEMENT

CARBON (C)

--> Carbon makes no claims to being rare. It is abundant on the sun, stars, comets, and most planets. On Earth it is ubiquitous in air, water and on the ground. It bonds with itself and also with a wide variety of other elements, to result in nearly ten million known compounds. As a diamond, it is a girl,s best friend. As coal, it powers industry. As the graphite in pencils, It is an artist,s tool. Additionally, it also forms the basis of organic chemistry. You are about eighteen percent carbon. Reason enough to take a closer look.

• The name of Carbon comes from Latin carbo, meaning charcoal.
• Carbon is a chemical element represented by the symbol "C".
• Atomic number is 6.
• Melting point is 3550 degree celcius.
• Atomic weight is 12.011
• It is the fourth most abundant chemical element in the universe by mass, after hydrogen , helium and oxygen.
• Carbon can take on different molecular configurations called allotropes.
• When combined with Oxygen and Hydrogen, it can form many groups of important biological compounds including sugars, celluloses, lignans, chitins, alscols, fats, and aromatic esters.
• With nitrogen it forms alkaloids.
• When combined with Sulphur it forms antibiotics, amino acids and proteins.
• With the addition of Phosphorus to these other elements, it is a constituent of DNA and RNA.

CARBON CATENATIONS :-

• Carbon has the ability to form long chains with interconnecting, strong and stable C-C bond.
• This property is called catenation.
  
  • There are more known carbon containing compound than all the compounds of the other chemical elements combined except those of hydrogen.
  • Almost all carbon compounds contain hydrogen. Hydrocarbons form a large family of organic molecules. Examples include coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
   
• Distinctly Different nature of carbon :-
  
  • Diamonds are the hardest naturally occuring substance.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Graphite is one of the softest substances known.
  • Diamond is an excellent electrical insulator. Graphite is a conductor of electricity.
  • All cyanides are intensely poisonous. Carbon monoxide can snuff out life too. But glucose is the energy currency of most forms of life. 
  • Amorphous carbon is completely isotropic. Carbon nanotubes are among the most anisotropic materials ever produced.
   

CARBON IN USE :-

• Carbon containing polymers form the basis of nearly all industrial commercial plastics.
  

•  Hydrocarbons are the backbone of industry.
• Industrial diamonds are used in cutting , drilling, and polishing technologies.
• Carbon is used by te iron and steel industry.
• Carbon is used as a neutron moderator in nuclear reactors.
• Carbon fiber is used for composite materials and high-temperature gas filtration.
• The rubber and plastic industries use carbon black. Used in ink manufacture.
• Activated charcoal is used in medicine.
• Carbon compounds are used as solvents, lubricants and pigments.

gloGLOBE  GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE 

The carbon cycle is the movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans and landmass. It involves storage pools of carbon and the processes by which these pools exchange carbon. If more carbon enters a pol than leaves it, the pool is considered a net carbon sink. If more carbon leaves a pool than enters it, the pool is considered a net carbon source. Carbon sequestration is the term describing processes that remove carbon from the atmosphere.

CARBON EMISSIONS OR GREEN HOUSE EFFECT :-

The industrial revolution increase the use of fossil fuels which resulted in a significant increase in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to what has been called the "greenhouse effect". In brief , solar energy comes in largely unobstructed but when radiated back, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere bounces it back down again and raise the temperature of earth.

          Many countries have got together to agree on the Kyoto Protocol, an international mechanism for the rduction of carbon emission.

NOW THE TIME IS FOR TESTING YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CARBON AFTER READING THIS ARTICLE...........  HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS.........

1. What is the atomic weight of carbon.

a) 11.011

b)13.011

c)12.011

 2. Name the softest item made by carbon.

a) Diamond

b) Graphite

c) Glucose

3. Atomic number of Carbon is ..........

a) 6

b) 10

c) 12

4. The process of removing carbon from atmosphere is known as.........

a) Carbon catenation

b) Carbon compounding

c) Carbon sequestration.

5. With nitrogen carbon forms ........

a) hydrocarbon

b) alkaloids

c) amino acids

6. Carbon is chemically represented by........

a) symbol S

b) symbol D

c) symbol C

7. Carbon presence in universe placed it on rank...

a) 2nd

b) 3rd

c) 4th

Answers .......  (1)c (2)b (3)a (4)c (5)b (6)c (7)c