Essential Characteristics and Roles of Carbon in Everyday Life
Introduction to Carbon
One of the most important elements in life is carbon. Just like our life runs on oxygen, plants also need carbon for its functioning. Without carbon, it would have been extremely difficult to stay in this world. All the compounds that are mainly found in living things are called organic compounds. Hence Carbon is also regarded as an organic compound as it is a part of the living forms and is very important in carrying out life processes. Carbon has an atomic number 6 which means that it consists of 6 protons in the nucleus. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent in nature which means that it can make four bonds. To know more about Carbon and its Importance - Characteristics, Importance, Properties, and Uses, students can also refer to Vedantu where a lot of information is provided in a much more detailed view.
What is Carbon?
Carbon can be defined as a chemical element that is the most common, having the symbol C with atomic number 6. In the periodic table, this element is a member of group 14.
The name carbon has derived from the Latin word “carbo,” which is meant by coal. The crust of Earth is the 15th most abundant element and the 4th most abundant element after helium, hydrogen, and oxygen.
In this article, you will get to discuss more on the importance of the carbon element.
Carbon Element Explained
When Carbon atoms are bonded together in various forms, they are referred to as allotropes of carbon. A few of the best-known allotropes are graphite, amorphous carbon, and diamond. Graphite is one of the known substances for its softness, and diamond is known for its hardness. The physical properties of carbon may vary from the allotropic form.
For Example, Diamond is transparent, and Graphite is opaque. It bonds with the other small atoms, including other carbon atoms, and it can develop multiple stable covalent bonds.
Characteristics of Carbon
Carbon is Non-metallic, and it has a Tetravalent bond.
Naturally, it has 3 occurring isotopes( 12C, 13C - stable, and 14C - radioactive)
It also has various allotropes, and the best known can be given as diamond, amorphous carbon, and graphite.
It holds a high melting point and can combine easily with oxygen at elevated temperatures.
This element acts as an excellent hardener for iron and yields different steel alloys.
The radioactive isotope of carbon can be given as C-14, used to date the ancient objects of organic origin.
The chemical Reactivity of Carbon:
1. Carbon has high reactivity for a lot of smaller atoms and forms stable covalent bonds.
2. Carbon is weakly reactive even though it does react with a lot of atoms.
3. At standard temperature and pressure when carbon is available it tends to avoid oxidation and does not react with hydrochloric acid, chlorine, or any alkali metals.
4. Carbon tends to react with oxygen to provide carbon oxides and with metals to provide metal carbides at higher temperatures.
Importance of Carbon
Carbon is more important for every known living system, and life could not exist without this element.
It can be available in hydrocarbon form other than food and wood, such as methane gas, crude oil, and fossil fuel.
Carbon fibres contain multiple uses because they have the attributes as, yet lightweight, strong, and durable material.
These fibres can be used in making fishing rods, tennis rackets, even rockets, and airplanes. Industrial diamonds are used for cutting and drilling rocks.
Physical and Biological Role
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the carbon forms, an essential element present in the water and air to sustain life on earth. Photosynthesis through green plants collects their energy from the sun in order to break down water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The living organisms that cannot continue the photosynthesis process are bound to rely on other living organisms to consume their carbon dioxide molecules as the minimum requirements. Therefore, a balance of carbon and oxygen is essential for the survival of almost all living organisms on this entire planet.
Some Important Carbon Compounds
1. Saturated Carbon Compounds
Carbon compounds, satisfied by the single bond between them, are called saturated compounds. One of the examples of this is Ethane - C2H6
Here, the octet or duplet of both the atoms is fully completed only by a single bond.
2. Unsaturated Carbon Compounds
Atoms that are only satisfied either by double or triple bonds are called unsaturated carbon compounds. One of the examples of this is Ethene - C2H4, which is an unsaturated carbon compound, having a double bond.
Biological Importance of Carbon
Let us look at the importance of carbon compounds in biology because there is a need for carbon compounds.
Probably, carbon is the most important building block in almost all organic molecules (except for water) required for life. Compounds such as proteins, DNA, and fat all contain carbon.
A carbon molecule can make a huge compound array because the carbon atoms can form 4 bonds with several other elements such as nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, other carbon atoms, halogens, and even some metals too. These can further form into the simple amino acids, which are the building blocks of life, but they can also form into the long molecular chains that create compounds such as bones in our body or wood in trees.
Carbon is capable of forming bonds because the outer valence of a carbon molecule holds 4 electrons but needs 8 to be filled. Hence, it will share the remaining electrons with other atoms to fill its outer valence. There are very few stable elements similar to carbon that can readily react with as many elements as possible, making the carbon atom quite a good building block.
Uses of Carbon Compounds
Some common uses of carbon compounds are:
Carbon can be used as a decorative tool in jewelry pieces.
Fossil fuels such as crude oil, methane gas, diesel, petrol contain high carbon percentages.
It is used as a base for the ink to use in inkjet printers.
It can be used in automobile rims as a black fume pigment.
Uses of Carbon in the Human Body
Carbon acts as a macronutrient for the body in carbohydrate form. This is substantiated by the fact that each body part requires and contains large amounts of carbon.
Activated charcoal can be used in medicine to absorb multiple gases or toxins produced in the human body.
Carbon Uses in Everyday Life
Let us look at some uses of carbon compounds in everyday life.
Graphite can be used as the lead in pencils and is also used in steel production.
Amorphous carbon can be used in making paints and inks and in batteries.
FAQs on Carbon and Its Importance in Chemistry
1. What is carbon, and why is it often called the 'element of life'?
Carbon is a non-metallic chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is called the 'element of life' because it forms the backbone of all major organic molecules essential for living organisms. These include complex molecules like proteins, carbohydrates, lipids (fats), and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). Its unique ability to form stable bonds with itself and other elements allows for the creation of a vast diversity of compounds, making life as we know it possible.
2. What are the unique properties of carbon that allow it to form millions of different compounds?
Carbon's ability to form a vast number of compounds is due to two primary properties:
- Tetravalency: A carbon atom has four valence electrons, allowing it to form four strong covalent bonds with other atoms. This enables the formation of complex, stable, three-dimensional structures.
- Catenation: This is the unique self-linking property of carbon atoms to form long chains, branched chains, and rings of various sizes. No other element exhibits catenation to the extent that carbon does, which is the key reason for the existence of millions of organic compounds.
3. What are the main allotropes of carbon, and how do their structures cause their different properties?
Allotropes are different structural forms of the same element. The main allotropes of carbon are diamond, graphite, and fullerenes.
- Diamond: Each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms in a rigid tetrahedral lattice. This strong, compact structure makes diamond the hardest known natural substance and an electrical insulator.
- Graphite: Each carbon atom is bonded to three other atoms in flat, hexagonal sheets or layers. These layers can slide over one another, making graphite soft and a good lubricant. It is also a good conductor of electricity due to delocalised electrons within the layers.
- Fullerenes: These are molecules composed entirely of carbon, taking the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, or tube. The most famous is Buckminsterfullerene (C60), which has a soccer-ball-like structure.
The difference in the arrangement of atoms is why hard, transparent diamond and soft, opaque graphite have drastically different properties, despite both being pure carbon.
4. What is the carbon cycle and why is it important for the environment?
The carbon cycle is the natural process by which carbon atoms are exchanged among the Earth's oceans, atmosphere, land, and living organisms. It is a continuous cycle involving processes like photosynthesis (where plants absorb CO2), respiration (where animals and plants release CO2), decomposition, and combustion. The carbon cycle is crucial for:
- Making carbon available for living organisms to build essential molecules.
- Regulating Earth's climate by controlling the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), a key greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere.
- Maintaining a balance that supports all life on the planet.
5. What are some important uses of carbon in our daily lives?
Carbon, in its elemental and compound forms, is vital to modern life. Some key uses include:
- Fuel: Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are carbon-based and provide the majority of the world's energy.
- Materials: Carbon is the basis for plastics, polymers, and synthetic fibres used in everything from clothing to electronics.
- Life and Food: All the food we eat is composed of organic carbon compounds.
- Writing and Industry: The 'lead' in pencils is graphite, which is also used as an industrial lubricant and in batteries.
- Jewellery and Cutting: Diamond is a prized gemstone and is used in industrial cutting and drilling tools due to its extreme hardness.
6. What is the significance of different carbon isotopes, particularly Carbon-14?
Carbon has three naturally occurring isotopes: Carbon-12, Carbon-13, and Carbon-14. While Carbon-12 is the most abundant, the others have special importance:
- Carbon-13: It is a stable isotope used in scientific research, particularly in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the structure of organic molecules.
- Carbon-14 (Radiocarbon): This isotope is radioactive. Living organisms maintain a constant level of Carbon-14 from the atmosphere. After they die, this level begins to decay at a known rate (half-life of about 5,730 years). This allows scientists to use radiocarbon dating to determine the age of ancient organic materials like fossils, bones, and wood artefacts.
7. How is carbon formed and how abundant is it on Earth?
Carbon is not formed on Earth; it is forged in the cosmos. Carbon atoms are created in the interior of stars through a process called the triple-alpha process, where three helium nuclei fuse together. When massive stars explode as supernovae, this carbon is scattered into space, eventually becoming part of new stars and planets like Earth. While it is the fourth most abundant element in the universe, it is not as common in the Earth's crust. However, it is highly concentrated in living matter and in deposits of coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
8. If carbon is essential for life, how can excess carbon dioxide be harmful to the environment?
This is a question of balance. The carbon cycle naturally maintains a certain level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, which helps trap heat and keep the Earth warm enough for life (the greenhouse effect). However, human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, release vast amounts of extra CO2 into the atmosphere much faster than natural processes can remove it. This disrupts the balance, enhances the greenhouse effect, and leads to global warming and climate change, which have widespread negative consequences for ecosystems and human society.
9. What is the fundamental difference between organic and inorganic carbon compounds?
The main distinction lies in the presence of carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds.
- Organic compounds are defined as molecules that contain carbon atoms covalently bonded to hydrogen atoms (C-H bonds). They are the primary components of living matter and include substances like sugar (C6H12O6) and methane (CH4).
- Inorganic compounds may contain carbon, but they lack the characteristic C-H bonds. Examples include carbon dioxide (CO2), carbonates like calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and carbon's allotropes like diamond and graphite. They are generally considered non-living matter.
