Interesting Facts about Carbon
One of the most important elements for all living things is carbon. Here are 10 interesting carbon facts for you:
- Carbon is the basis for organic chemistry, as it occurs in all living organisms.
- Carbon is a nonmetal that can bond with itself and many other chemical elements, forming nearly ten million compounds.
- Elemental carbon can take the form of one of the hardest substances (diamond) or one of the softest (graphite).
- Carbon is made in the interiors of stars, though it was not produced in the Big Bang.
- Carbon compounds have limitless uses. In its elemental form, diamond is a gemstone and used for drilling/cutting; graphite is used in pencils, as a lubricant, and to protect against rust; while charcoal is used to remove toxins, tastes, and odors. The isotope Carbon-14 is used in radiocarbon dating.
- Carbon has the highest melting/sublimation point of the elements. The melting point of diamond is ~3550°C, with the sublimation point of carbon around 3800°C.
- Pure carbon exists free in nature and has been known since prehistoric time.
- The origin of the name ‘carbon’ comes from the Latin word carbo, for charcoal. The German and French words for charoal are similar. Continue reading..