Do you know what's carbon atomic number, what does c stand for on the periodic table & what element is C in chemistry? Here are facts about carbon atomic number
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Mind Blowing Facts About Carbon Atomic Number!
Carbon is an element that is practically everywhere around us. No matter
where you look, there is something that is made of carbon or has carbon in
it. So much so that even humans are partially made up of carbon and the
plastic, household machines, and clothes that we use are also made of
Carbon. Most surprisingly, carbon is also present in the air that we all
breathe. We have gathered some astonishing facts about the famous element
carbon and carbon atomic number. Keep reading to find some interesting
information that will leave you surprised:
What Element Is C?
It is Carbon, the C element, that comes from the Latin word carbo which
means coal in English. Carbon is a chemical element that is denoted by the
symbol C and it has an atomic number 6. Carbon is tetravalent and
nonmetallic.
But, what does it mean by tetravalent?
Well, carbon has four available electrons rea dy to make covalent chemical
bonds. Moreover, Carbon, the element that constitutes about 0.025% of the
Earth’s crust, belongs to the 14th group of the periodic table in chemistry.
The element also has three naturally occurring isotopes among which 2 are
stable and one is unstable. The stable isotopes are 12C and 13C, while the
unstable isotope is 14C. 14C is a radionuclide and it has a half -life of up to
5,730 years. Another surprising fact about Carbon is that it is among the list
of the very few elements that have been known to man since antiquity.
Another unique property of carbon is that its atoms can bond in multiple
ways, thus, creating different allotropes of carbon. Some famous allotropes
of carbon are:
• Fullerenes
• Graphite
• Amorphous Carbon
• Diamonds, etc.
The physical characteristics of the element can change depending on the
allotrope form under discussion. For instance, diamond, an allotrope of
carbon, is highly transparent and graphite, another allotrope of carbon is
black and opaque.
Now that we all know what does c stand for on the periodic table, let’s move
on:
Atomic Number of Carbon
The atomic number of carbon is 6 and here’s a comprehensive summary of
carbon:
Carbon Atomic Number 6
Carbon’s Melting Point 3,550 °C (6,420 °F)
Atomic Weight of Carbon 12.0096 to 12.0116
Carbon’s Boiling Point 4,827 °C (8,721 °F)
The density of different allotropes of carbon:
Amorphous Carbon 1.9 g/cm3
Diamond 3.52 g/cm3
Graphite 2.25 g/cm3
Carbon’s Electron Configuration 1s22s22p2
Oxidation States +2, +3, +4
Carbon Element Symbol
C is the standard carbon element symbol as it is made of just one kind of
atom which also makes carbon an element. The element is also solid when
kept at room temperature owing to the fact its atoms are arranged in a
regular pattern.
Some Facts About Carbon Atomic Number
• Every single atom of carbon contains 6 electrons and protons.
Naturally, three isotopes of carbon can be found and the majority of
them have 6 neutrons except for carbon -13 and carbon-14. Carbon-14,
which is the unstable isotope of carbon, is used for radioisotope
dating of organic material and it is among the total 15 known isotopes
of carbon.
• One interesting fact about the allotropes of carbon (discussed above)
is that all of them are present in a naturally solid state at room
temperature and pressure. The person who discovered the allotrope
fullerene was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996.
• Carbon has been used for a diverse array of purposes throughout
history. For example, primitive man used the element in the form of
charcoal and soot. On the other hand, the Chinese were aware that
diamonds existed as early as 2500 BCE.
• The man who discord carbon was Antoine Lavoisier. Moreover, he also
performed an extremely important experiment where he burned
samples of charcoal and diamond a nd used his findings to prove that
both substances released the same quantity of carbon dioxide per
gram (in 1772).
• Lastly, this element gets constantly recycled in one way or another via
the Carbon Cycle. In other words, the carbon present in human beings
was also once a part of the Earth’s atmosphere.