Activity 3: CARBON COMPOUNDS

Complete the FRAYER MODELbelow.

Carbon compounds are defined as chemical ● carbon is abundant, common.

substances containing carbon. More ● forms strong covalent bonds.
compounds of carbon exist than any other ● has four valence electrons.
chemical element except for hydrogen. ● variety of shapes.
● bonds with multiple elements.

● carbon dioxide (CO2) Carbon forms covalent bonds with atoms of

● deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) carbon or other elements. There is a great
● glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) diversity of carbon compounds, ranging in
● methane (CH4) size from just one to thousands of atoms.
Carbon has four valence electrons, so it can
● benzene (C6H6)
achieve a full outer energy level by forming
four covalent bonds.

GUIDE QUESTIONS: Answer the questions thoroughly below. Be guided by the

scoring guide given.

5 3 1

Response shows correct Response shows Response shows no clear

and clear understanding of understanding of the carbon understanding of the
the carbon compounds compounds and its carbon compounds and its
and its importance. importance but with some importance.
misconceptions.

1. Why is life on earth based on carbon?

● Life on Earth is based on carbon, likely because each carbon atom can form
bonds with up to four other atoms simultaneously. This quality makes carbon
well-suited to form the long chains of molecules that serve as the basis for life as
we know it, such as proteins and DNA

2. Would it be possible for a silicon based organism to exist? Explain. Limit your
answer ‌to 3 sentences only.
● So, the answer, at least for now, is no – although silicon can
sometimes be used biologically as a sort of structural support (and
there are some examples claiming silicon as an essential trace
element) for carbon-based life - silicon-based life itself does not exist,
as far as we know, because of the chemical and physical properties of
the element itself. It does make great Sci-Fi though!