Carbon forms the largest number of compounds, next only to hydrogen. It ranks seventeenth in the order of abundance in the earth's crust. Carbon occurs in the free native state as well as in the combined state. Carbon and its compounds are widely distributed in nature.
Our food also contains carbon in the combined form. All living systems contain carbon compounds. Indeed, life as we know today, would be impossible without such carbon compounds.
Atomic mass: 12.01amu, Atomic radius 77pm, Atomic number: 6
In its elemental form, carbon occurs in nature as diamond and graphite. Coal, charcoal and coke are impure forms of carbon. The latter two are obtained by heating wood and coal in the absence of air, respectively. In the combined state, carbon is present as carbonate in many minerals, such as hydrocarbons in natural gas, petroleum etc. In air, carbon dioxide is present in small quantities, (0.03%).
Our food also contains carbon in the combined form. All living systems contain carbon compounds. Indeed, life as we know today, would be impossible without such carbon compounds.
Carbon is a non-metallic element and the first member of group 14 of the periodic table
Symbol: C, Electronic configuration1s2, 2s22p2, Melting point = 800KAtomic mass: 12.01amu, Atomic radius 77pm, Atomic number: 6
| Symbol | C |
| Atomic number | 6 |
| Mass number | 12 |
| Isotopes | 126C,136C,146C |
1. Carbon is the first member of the group IVA.
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2. Electronic configuration of this group shows that the members have four electrons in their valence shell.
3. Other members of this group are silicon, germanium, tin and lead.
4. Carbon is a non-metal but as we go down the group IVA, the metallic character of the elements increases.
C, Si
Non metal
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Ge
Metalloids
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Sn, Pb
Metals
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5. Property of catenation
One of the most remarkable properties of carbon is to form bonds with itself thus, forming chains of carbon atoms. This property of forming bonds with atoms of the same element is called catenation. Carbon shows maximum catenation. Silicon shows catenation to some extent while other members do not show catenation.
6. The members of this group show allotropy forms. For e.g., carbon exists as diamond, graphite, coal, etc. while silicon also exists in both crystalline and amorphous forms.
7. Carbon shows tetra covalency i.e., forms four single bonds with monovalent atoms.
Example: CCl4
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