CARBON Name: P Lekhana

Carbon Latin word is carbo meaning coal. It is a non - metal due to its non - lustrous, non-
malleable, non-ductile in nature. It is represented by symbol C and has atomic number six (6).
It is a tetravalent atom because it forms four covalent bonds (covalent bond – the chemical bond
formed due to mutual sharing of electrons between two or more atoms). It is the most abundant
element in human body after oxygen. In 1961, the isotope carbon 12th was chosen as the
standard element for measuring the other element’s atomic weight replacing oxygen. An entire
branch is devoted to studies of carbon containing substances: Organic chemistry.

Carbon contains two electrons in k shell and four electrons in valency shell because of this
arrangement it can combine in many ways and is a versatile (adaptive) element. You may think
that diamond has a complex formula as it is the hardest substance known to man but the formula
is just ‘C’. Carbon can be as black as charcoal and as clear as diamond its just due to its
arrangement of carbon and it can link between itself. Charcoal is considered to be the most
reactive form of carbon than coal, graphite or diamond as they are denser and less reactive.

Carbon is one of the elements formed when the dying star in milky way galaxy eject the
elements to the surroundings. The triple-alpha process which is a set of nuclear fusion reactions
by which three helium-4 nuclei (alpha particles) are transformed into carbon -12, 2 alpha
particles (helium nuclei) react to form beryllium-8. Beryllium-8 react with alpha particle to form
carbon -12 proceeding to the Hoyle state. In these steps it does not produce the carbon-12 that
we know. This state in carbon-12 is a resonance meaning it is not spatially and it has a life time
governed by its distance from the particle emission threshold.

Fossil fuels are formed from decomposition of buried carbon-based organisms that have
perished million years ago are converted to coal, natural gas and crude oil which is later
converted to diesel, kerosene, heating oil, LPG etc. and they are some of the important natural
resources that are used by us everyday this process is taken place in the presence of heat and
pressure. They are Hydrocarbons which are formed from only two elements, Carbon and
Hydrogen. The bonding between the hydrogen and carbon store energy by burning the
compounds in the presence of oxygen. When the bonds are broken the stored energy is converted
to heat energy, which forms carbon dioxide in the process.
CARBON Name: P Lekhana

Carbon is used in radiopharmaceutilas. Radioactive(isotopes) plays an important role in

medicine and health. Radioactive isotopes are used in the medical field for radio diagnostic and
radiotherapy which are also called as nuclear medicine. Cancers are being cured with the help
of radiation therapy (killing or slowing the growth of cancer cell and damage their DNA) further
stops the division when the cancer cells die, they are removed from the body. (Radiodiagnostic)
I-131 is used to treat hyperthyroidism as a treatment therapy which is injected into the patient
body in small doses and when it passes through the thyroid gland it destroys the glandular cells
hence, the thyroid gland slowdown its activities. This disease is caused by cancer, pituitary
gland problems, consumption of more iodine etc.

Carbon is present in the green house gases in many compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4), fluorinated gases such as hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons,
chlorofluorocarbons etc.. these carbons help in increase of global warming. (Increase in
greenhouse gases increases global temperature causing global warming). the Earth’s
atmosphere traps long-infrared rays of the sun and warms the earth’s atmosphere. These green
house gases are important for the living organisms as they prevent the Earth from freezing.
However, excess greenhouse gases lead to global warming, ozone layer depletion, acidification
of water, etc. which causes to rise of sea levels (the trapped heat which is observed by the water
bodies gets expanded as the water is heated.) its possess a serious threat to coastal life. Instead
of using fossil fuels directly we can switch to LPG, LNG, CNG & renewable energy to reduce
green house gases.