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What makes carbon unique?
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Mar 12, 2022 · Carbon occurs naturally as carbon-12, which makes up almost 99% of the carbon in the universe; carbon-13, which makes up about 1%; and carbon-14, which makes up a minuscule amount...
Mar 12, 2024 · The uniqueness of carbon stems more from the fact that it forms strong carbon-carbon bonds that also are strong when in combination with other elements. For example, the combination of hydrogen with carbon affords a remarkable variety of carbon hydrides, or hydrocarbons as they usually are called.
Carbon, chemical element that forms more compounds than all the other elements combined. Carbon is widely distributed in coal and in the compounds that make up petroleum, natural gas, and plant and animal tissue. The carbon cycle is one of the most important of all biological processes.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Carbon is unique among the elements in its ability to form strongly bonded chains, sealed off by hydrogen atoms. These hydrocarbons, extracted naturally as fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), are mostly used as fuels.
Carbon's abundance, its unique diversity of organic compounds, and its unusual ability to form polymers at the temperatures commonly encountered on Earth, enables this element to serve as a common element of all known life. It is the second most abundant element in the human body by mass (about 18.5%) after oxygen. [18]
Why Carbon Is Special. There are now more than ten million organic compounds known by chemists. Many more undoubtedly exist in nature, and organic chemists are continually creating (synthesizing) new ones.
This comprehensive guide explores its discovery, unique physical and chemical properties, varied applications in industry and medicine, and its indispensable role in biological systems. Learn why carbon is not just another element but a cornerstone of many scientific disciplines.
