Carbon can combine with other elements in a great variety of ways. Carbon is called the basis for life because all living things contain organic compounds. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth's crust. Silicon is used in glass and incement. It is also used in solar cells.
Solar cells convert the energy of sunlight into electric energy.
Germanium is a metalloid used in transistors. Transistors are devices found in many electronic instruments, such as radios and televisions. Tin is a metal which resists rusting and corrosion. The most dense element in the carbon family is the metal lead. Lead forms poisonous compounds.