The Story Behınd carbon
Carbon is one of the most common elements in the universe. Carbon holds the sixth place in the list by abundance. Its well known natural allotropes are graphite and diamond.
King of the Elements…
Carbon deserves this title , indeed. It comes in extensive shapes and forms for specific functions. Around 10 million carbon compunds have been discovered so far. It is crucial for the existence of almost all compunds. Carbon’s incredible ability to bond with many other elements is a major reason that it is the fundamental building block of life and chemistry.
Currency of Nature…
Carbon is found in all living things. It is also found in fossilised remains in the form of hydrocarbons (natural gas, crude oil , coal etc) and carbonates (chalk, limestone, etc).
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the air, as does the breathing and regular ecomposition of living animals at more moderate rates. CO2 plays the leading role in this everlasting cycle.
Plants use CO2 from the air in photosynthesis to grow, part of the cycle of carbon from air to plant to other organisms that maintains the balance between different chemicals in the atmosphere. Living things get almost all their carbon from carbon dioxide, either from the atmosphere or dissolved in water. Living things that do not photosynthesise have to rely on consuming other living things for their source of carbon molecules.
Cause and Solution at the Same Time
While carbon is the reason of some of the greatest challenges facing the planet, it also offers strong solutions and mechanisms.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas, means CO2 in the atmosphere works to trap heat close to Earth. It helps Earth to hold on to some of the energy it gets from the Sun . If it weren’t for this greenhouse effect, Earth’s oceans would be frozen solid. Earth would not be the beautiful blue and green planet of life that it is.
Carbon occurs naturally as carbon-12, which makes up almost 99 percent of the carbon in the universe; carbon-13, which makes up about 1 percent; and carbon-14, which makes up a minuscule amount of overall carbon but is very important in dating organic objects.
Carbon in Our Lives…
Carbohydrates are some of the compounds formed with carbon. They are used, along with nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements, to form the other monomer molecules of life. These include bases and sugars for RNA and DNA, and amino acids for proteins.
Diamonds and graphite have specific carbon arrangements in their structures. They are among the hardest and softest natural materials known, respectively. The only difference between the two is their crystal structure. Industrial diamonds are used for cutting rocks and drilling. Diamond films are used to protect surfaces such as razor blades. Graphite is used in pencils, to make brushes in electric motors and in furnace linings.
Amorphous carbon, is another form of carbon, also known as carbon black. It is commonly used in batteries, inks and rubber products
Carbon is a key component in steel production. Impure carbon in the form of charcoal (from wood) and coke (from coal) is used in metal smelting. It is particularly important in the iron and steel industries.
Carbon fibre is finding many uses as a very strong, yet lightweight, material. It is currently used in tennis rackets, skis, fishing rods, rockets and aeroplanes.
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