UCSB Science Line UCSB Science Line What elements are in diamonds, gold, and rust? What is the scientific name for rust? Answer 1: Diamond is 100 % Carbon, atomic number 6 on the periodic table.Gold, symbol Au is atomic number 79 and is like diamond, a pure substance.Rust on the other hand is ferric oxide or Fe2O3. The mineral is called Hematite. It has a blood red streak. That is if you think you have some hematite, rub the mineral on an unglazed ceramic tile (called a streak plate) and the streak is blood red. Answer 2: The element in diamond is carbon (symbol C). Try and find C in the periodic table. Diamonds, particularly high quality ones, are very pure carbon. Sometimes however, small amounts of carbons neighbors in the periodic table, such as boron (symbol B), and Nitrogen (symbol N) are also found in diamond. These tend to give diamonds different colors. Gold is an element (symbol Au). The element symbol Au comes from the Latin word for gold which is aurum. Pure gold is usually only used to store money in banks.

In jewelry (which is the biggest use of gold) the gold is usually mixed with some copper (symbol Cu) to give it more strength. Rust is usually a mixture of iron (symbol Fe) oxygen (symbol O) and some hydrogen (symbol H). Most rust has the chemical formula FeO2H, also written as FeO (OH), and mineral name of this material is lepidocrocite (pronounced lay-pedo-kro-kite) Answer 3: First, gold is an element. It is very malleable and ductile. Since pure gold is fairly soft, it is often combined with other metals to make alloys to make it a little stronger. The alloys are what you typically find in jewelry, etc. Diamonds are made up of the element carbon. Also, graphite is also made up of carbon. The only difference between the two is the way that the atoms are bonded together. Interestingly, graphite is the more stable form of carbon, so diamonds will eventually turn into graphite (diamonds aren't really forever!). However, this process takes thousands of years. Rust is the common name for iron oxide, which as the name implies, is made up of the elements iron and oxygen.

The compound is Fe2O3. Iron combines quickly with oxygen, and the process of turning iron to iron oxide is an example of corrosion. You can see things like steel rust because steel contains iron. Answer 4: The quick answer is: Diamond is a pure element, carbon; gold is a pure element, gold; and rust is a compound, Iron Oxide, of iron and Oxygen. Diamond is pure elemental carbon, compressed to its crystal form, under extreme heat and pressure deep within the Earth. The symbol for carbon is C. Gold is also an element, in and of itself. Its symbol is Au. It does not easily form compounds so it is found by itself, in stream beds (placer deposits) or in veins in rocks. Rust is a compound: Iron Oxide. It is found all over; everywhere iron and oxygen come in contact! Both iron and oxygen form compounds quite easily, so they are not readily found alone. (The oxygen you breathe is O2, not elemental oxygen.) Rust can come in different forms, because iron (symbol Fe) normally gives up 2 or 3 electrons when it forms compounds.

We call these "oxidation states." When iron gives up 2 electrons, it gets a +2 charge, and when it gives up 3 electrons, it gets a +3 charge. To make a neutral compound it must then bond with some element in the proper ratio so as to remove its"excess" positive charge (or, replace its deficit negative charge). Oxygen (symbol O) normally takes 2 electrons when bonding with metals (including hydrogen). So, for a balanced compound of iron oxide, you have either FeO or Fe2O3. Here's what I mean: For FeO, you have one Fe(+2) and one O(-2) = FeO. This compound is also called Iron(II)Oxide. It is one form of rust. The charges balance like this:(+2) + (-2) = 2-2=0. The other form of rust, Fe2O3, is two Fe(+3) and three O(-2), written Fe2O3, and also called Iron(III)Oxide. The charges balance like this:2(+3) + 3(-2) = 6 - 6 = 0.

I hope this helps.Best wishes. Answer 5: Diamond is a polymorph of the element carbon (C). To give you an idea of the many uses of carbon, the macromolecules in our bodies, including DNA,proteins,sugars, and lipids, all contain carbon. Also, the soft lead in your pencil,graphite, is also made up of carbon.The element in gold is of course, gold (Au). The most pure form of gold jewelry as you probably know is 24 karats meaning no other elements are present within the stone. Common impurities in lower karat gold include silver (Ag), copper(Cu), and palladium (Pd). Rust is iron-oxide consisting of the elements iron and oxygen. When water touches an iron surface the water starts reacting with carbon dioxide in the air and forms carbonic acid, a weak acid. The presence of the acid causes the iron to dissolve. At the same time, the water starts breaking apart into oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen from the breakdown of water reacts with the dissolved iron forming iron oxide, rust.

Answer 6: GOLD Gold is an element, meaning that it consists only of one type of atom that cannot be chemically broken down into smaller parts. The only way to break gold down into smaller components would be through nuclear reactions that change the number of protons and electrons, the positively and negatively charged particles, inside the gold atoms. The element gold is denoted by the symbol Au in the Periodic Table of Elements. Gold is characterized by having79 protons and, in its elemental or uncharged state, also has 79 electrons. In its most common isotope, gold has 118 neutrons. Gold is typically found in nature in very small quantities mixed into a type of rock called ore, but can also be found in riverbed sediments. The extraction of gold from the earth is explained at the following websites: For more about gold in general:~eps2/wisc/gold.html DIAMONDS Diamonds are composed almost entirely of the element carbon, often with some other impurities in them, such as nitrogen (i.e., pure diamonds are entirely carbon). The element carbon comes in three different natural forms, or allotropes: diamond, graphite, and amorphous.

Although each of these forms is composed entirely of carbon, the carbon atoms are organized and bonded differently, creating unique properties for each. Diamonds are formed under extreme pressure and heat, 100-200 kilometers below the Earths surface, by bonding carbon into a three-dimensional crystal network. Diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to us. Graphite differs from diamonds in that the carbon atoms are bonded into flat sheets, creating a black, slippery substance that is one of the softest substances known to man. Graphite is what pencil lead is made out of. Amorphous carbon, otherwise known as soot, forms when a carbon-based material burns, or combusts, without enough oxygen to convert it completely to carbon dioxide. Carbon is characterized by having 6 protons and 6 electrons, and usually 6neutrons. This isotope of carbon is called carbon-12, with the number12referring to the atomic mass, or number of neutrons plus protons.

Carbon also exists in the isotope carbon-14, with 8 neutrons, but this form is unstable (a radioactive isotope) and decays into nitrogen-14 over time by releasing an electron and converting a neutron into a proton. For more information about carbon, see this web page: RUST Rust is a molecule that is composed of two elements: iron (Fe, atomic number26) and oxygen (O, atomic number 8). The chemical formula for rust is Fe2O3,which is called iron oxide, but is also known as ferric oxide or hematite,among other names. The word ferric refers to iron ions with a +3 charge (or with 23 electrons), whereas ferrous refers to iron ions with a +2 charge (or with 24 electrons). I think these words may have a Latin derivation, although I am not certain what their Latin meanings or root is. Rust forms when the oxygen in air or in water combines with iron, which is a major component of steel, for example.

Each oxygen atom essentially steals two electrons from the iron, forming oxygen atoms with a 2 charge (O-2 ions), while each iron atom donates three electrons to the oxygen, forming iron atoms with a+3 charge (Fe+3 ions, also known as ferric). Since the oxygen ions are negatively charged and the iron ions are positively charged, they attract and create an ionic bond that forms rust. This type of reaction is known as a reduction-oxidation reaction, or a red-ox reaction, where oxygen is said to be reduced (hence the reduction, or decrease, in oxygens electric charge) and the iron is said to be oxidized by the oxygen. The chemical equation for the formation of rust is: 4(Fe) + 3(O2) = 4(Fe+3) + 6(O-2) = 2 (Fe2O3) Click Here to return to the search form. Copyright © 2015 The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved. Chemical formula of diamond Diamond A wedding ring of soot? Diamond, graphite and soot are all made of carbon atoms.

So on your wedding day why not save money and buy a cheaper wedding ring made from soot? Well, you may need to learn a bit of chemistry to help your marriage survive! The chemical formula of diamond is C which is the chemical symbol for the element carbon. Soot and graphite are also made up of carbon atoms and have the same chemical symbol, C. So what's the difference between soot, graphite and diamond if they are all made up of the same carbon atoms? Carbon atoms can be arranged in many different physical forms called allotropes. An allotrope is a form of an element that has different physical properties (eg. color, crystal shape, hardness, melting points, boiling points, etc.) due to different arrangements of atoms or molecules within the structure. Four allotropes of carbon are diamond, buckminsterfullerene (bucky balls), graphite and soot. Since all are forms of the element carbon, they each have the same chemical symbol C. The allotropes of carbon however, differ greatly in their structure and properties. In diamond the carbon atoms are covalently bonded to one another producing a three dimensional network solid. Each carbon atom is bonded to four other atoms throughout the crystal lattice.

Diamond has no free electrons because they are all involved in bonding and is therefore a poor conductor of electricity. Diamond is the hardest substance known and is used to cut glass and in industrial drill bits. Diamond is widely sought after because of its rarity and unique crystalline structure and is used in jewelry. Graphite is also made of carbon atoms. Graphite consists of carbon atoms covalently bonded together in a layers made up of hexagons, like chicken wire. Each carbon atom has three bonds and one free electron. The extra electrons are delocalized and can be moved along the layers by applying an external voltage. This is why graphite can conduct an electric current. Graphite unlike diamond is extremely soft. Between the parallel layers of graphite are weak intermolecular bonds, which allow the layers to easily slip over each other. This is what happens when writing or drawing with a graphite pencil on paper. Buckminsterfullerene (a bucky ball for short) is an allotrope of carbon that is produced by firing high powered laser beams at graphite. Each molecule consists of a large number of carbon atoms covalently bonded to one another forming a sphere (similar to a soccer ball). Soot has no crystalline structure and is amorphous in form.

It is a carcinogenic (cancer forming) pollutant produced by the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons, particularly gasoline or petrol and diesel fuels. So the key to a successful marriage is to buy the correct allotrope of carbon for a wedding ring. It's not just the atoms that are important. It's how they are arranged! What is a pure element? | Reference.com What is a pure element? A: Quick Answer In nuclear science, a pure element is a chemical element that consists of a singular stable isotope – that is, atoms of the same element. Examples of a pure element are gold, aluminium and fluoride. Full Answer In chemistry, a pure element is a substance in which all the atoms have the same number of protons or the same atomic number. Chemically pure elements can bond in multiple ways and can be found in a number of structures. For example, carbon can be found as a diamond through the process of pressure and bonding of the carbon elements. Graphite is another example of the layering of carbon isotopes.

Chemical elements | ClearlyExplained.com email us Chemical elements In science and frequently chemistry , chemical elements are a pure chemical substances consisting of a single type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its atomic nucleus. This also means that elements can’t be broken down further by ordinary chemical reactions . Pure gold crystals about 14mm across. image: adapted from wikipedia Elements are divided into metals, metalloids, and non-metals. Familiar examples of elements are: lead . The lightest chemical elements, including hydrogen, helium and smaller amounts of lithium, beryllium and boron, are thought to have been produced by various cosmic processes during the Big Bang and cosmic-ray spallation. Production of heavier elements, from carbon to the very heaviest elements, proceeded by stellar nucleosynthesis, and these were made available for later solar system and planetary formation by planetary nebulae and supernovae, which blast these elements into space. The high abundance of oxygen, silicon, and iron on Earth reflects their common production in such stars. While most elements are generally stable, a small amount of natural transformation of one element to another also occurs in the decay of radioactive elements as well as other natural nuclear processes.

Early history and eventual organisation of the elements The history of the discovery and use of the elements began with primitive human societies that found native elements like copper and gold and extracted (smelted) iron and a few other metals from their ores. Alchemists and chemists subsequently identified many more, with nearly all of the naturally-occurring elements becoming known by 1900. The properties of the chemical elements are often summarized using the periodic table, which organizes the elements by increasing atomic number into rows ("periods") in which the columns ("groups") share recurring ("periodic") physical and chemical properties. Save for unstable radioactive elements with short half lives, all of the elements are available industrially, most of them in high degrees of purity. Abundance of the elements Hydrogen and helium are by far the most abundant elements in the universe. However, iron is the most abundant element (by mass) making up the Earth, and oxygen is the most common element in Earth's crust. Although all known chemical matter is composed of these elements, chemical matter itself is hypothesized to constitute only about 15% of the matter in the universe.

The remainder is believed to be dark matter, a range of substances whose composition is largely unknown and not composed of chemical elements, since it lacks protons, neutrons or electrons. Dark matter may also include normal baryonic matter and neutrinos. Chemistry of the elements When two or more distinct elements are chemically combined, with the atoms held together by chemical bonds, the result is termed a chemical compound. Two thirds of the chemical elements occur naturally on Earth only as compounds, and in the remaining third, often the compound forms of the element are most common. Chemical compounds may be composed of elements combined in exact whole-number ratios of atoms, as in water, table salt, and minerals such as quartz, calcite, and some ores. However, chemical bonding of many types of elements results in crystalline solids and metallic alloys for which exact chemical formulas do not exist. Relatively pure samples of isolated elements are uncommon in nature. While all of the 98 naturally occurring elements have been identified in mineral samples from Earth's crust, only a small minority of elements are found as recognizable, relatively pure minerals.

Among the more common of such "native elements" are copper, silver, gold, carbon (as coal, graphite, or diamonds), sulfur, and mercury. All but a few of the most inert elements, such as noble gases and noble metals, are usually found on Earth in chemically combined form, as chemical compounds. While about 32 of the chemical elements occur on Earth in native uncombined form, most of these occur as mixtures. For example, atmospheric air is primarily a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, and native solid elements occur in alloys, such as that of iron and nickel. As of November 2011, 118 elements have been identified, the latest being ununseptium in 2010. Of the 118 known elements, only the first 98 are known to occur naturally on Earth; 80 of them are stable, while the others are radioactive, decaying into lighter elements over various timescales from fractions of a second to billions of years. Those elements that do not occur naturally on Earth have been produced artificially as the synthetic products nuclear reactions. This simplified diagram represents the element and atomic isotope helium 3He.

The proton and neutron size are not to scale to the cloud of possible places electrons around the nucleus. Unstable elements Some elements though have so many protons and neutrons that the forces holding them together are not strong enough and so the element falls apart and starts to transform into another element. These unstable elements are also radioactive. Elements are divided into metals, metalloids, and non-metals. Mainly because most elements have metallic properties. Chemists also organise the elements into a table commonly refered to as The Periodic Table of the Elements. Although some elements can be considered natural. Many elements don't exist in their pure form in nature due to their chemical or atomic instability. Here is a list of known elements briefly explained: Elements and Compounds About Watch and Favorite Watch Watching this resources will notify you when proposed changes or new versions are created so you can keep track of improvements that have been made. Favorite Favoriting this resource allows you to save it in the “My Resources” tab of your account. There, you can easily access this resource later when you’re ready to customize it or assign it to your students.

Elements and Compounds An element is a material that consists of a single type of atom, while a compound consists of two or more types of atoms. Learning Objective Differentiate between elements and compounds and explore separation techniques Key Points Elements are the simplest complete chemical substances . Each element corresponds to a single entry on the periodic table. An element is a material that consists of a single type of atom . Each atom type contains the same number of protons . Chemical bonds link elements together to form more complex molecules called compounds . A compound consists of two or more types of elements held together by covalent or ionic bonds . Elements cannot be divided into smaller units without large amounts of energy . Compounds, on the other hand, can have their bonds broken with practical amounts of energy, such as the heat from a fire. Matter can be broken down into two categories: pure substances and mixtures . Pure substances are further broken down into elements and compounds. Mixtures are physically combined structures that can be separated back into their original components. Terms Full Text Elements A chemical element is a pure substance that consists of one type of atom. Each atom has an atomic number , which represents the number of protons that are in the nucleus of a single atom of that element.

The periodic table of elements is ordered by ascending atomic number. The chemical elements are divided into the metals , the metalloids , and the non-metals. Metals, typically found on the left side of the periodic table, are: often conductive to electricity sometimes magnetic. Aluminum , iron, copper , gold, mercury and lead are metals. In contrast, non-metals, found on the right side of the periodic table (to the right of the staircase), are: typically not conductive not magnetic. Examples of elemental non-metals include carbon and oxygen . Metalloids have some characteristics of metals and some characteristics of non-metals. Silicon and arsenic are metalloids. As of November, 2011, 118 elements have been identified (the most recently identified was ununseptium, in 2010). Of these 118 known elements, only the first 98 are known to occur naturally on Earth. The elements that do not occur naturally on Earth are the synthetic products of man-made nuclear reactions.

80 of the 98 naturally-occurring elements are stable; the rest are radioactive, which means they decay into lighter elements over timescales ranging from fractions of a second to billions of years. The periodic table shows 118 elements, including metals (blue), nonmetals (red), and metalloids (green). Hydrogen and helium are by far the most abundant elements in the universe. However, iron is the most abundant element (by mass) in the composition of the Earth, and oxygen is the most common element in the layer that is the Earth's crust. Although all known chemical matter is composed of these elements, chemical matter itself constitutes only about 15% of the matter in the universe. The remainder is dark matter, a mysterious substance that is not composed of chemical elements. Dark matter lacks protons, neutrons , or electrons . Compounds Pure samples of isolated elements are uncommon in nature. While the 98 naturally occurring elements have all been identified in mineral samples from the Earth's crust, only a small minority of them can be found as recognizable, relatively pure minerals. Among the more common of such "native elements" are copper, silver , gold, and sulfur.

Carbon is also commonly found in the form of coal, graphite, and diamonds . The noble gases (e.g., neon) and noble metals (e.g., mercury) can also be found in their pure, non-bonded forms in nature. Still, most of these elements are found in mixtures. When two distinct elements are chemically combined—i.e., chemical bonds form between their atoms—the result is called a chemical compound. Most elements on Earth bond with other elements to form chemical compounds, such as sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl), which combine to form table salt (NaCl). Water is another example of a chemical compound. The two or more component elements of a compound can be separated through chemical reactions . Chemical compounds have a unique and defined structure, which consists of a fixed ratio of atoms held together in a defined spatial arrangement by chemical bonds. Chemical compounds can be: molecular compounds held together by covalent bonds salts held together by ionic bonds intermetallic compounds held together by metallic bonds complexes held together by coordinate covalent bonds.

Pure chemical elements are not considered chemical compounds, even if they consist of diatomic or polyatomic molecules (molecules that contain only multiple atoms of a single element, such as H2 or S8). Carbon, Chemical Element - structure, reaction, water, uses, elements, proteins, metal, gas PRONUNCIATION CAR-bun Carbon is such an important element that an entirely separate field of chemistry is devoted to this element and its compounds. Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds. Discovery and naming Humans have been aware of carbon since the earliest of times. When cave people made a fire, they saw smoke form. The black color of smoke is caused by unburned specks of carbon. The smoke may have collected on the ceiling of their caves as soot. Later, when lamps were invented, people used oil as a fuel. When oil burns, carbon is released in the reaction, forming a sooty covering on the inside of the lamp. That form of carbon became known as lampblack. Lampblack was also often mixed with olive oil or balsam gum to make ink. And ancient Egyptians sometimes used lampblack as eyeliner. One of the most common forms of carbon is charcoal.

Charcoal is made by heating wood in the absence of air so it does not catch fire. Instead, it gives off water vapor, leaving pure carbon. This method for producing charcoal was known as early as the Roman civilization (509 B.C.-A.D. 476). French physicist René Antoine Ferchault Reaumur (1683-1757) believed carbon might be an element. He studied the differences between wrought iron, cast iron, and steel. The main difference among these materials, he said, was the presence of a "black combustible material" that he knew was present in charcoal. Carbon was officially classified as an element near the end of the eighteenth century. In 1787, four French chemists wrote a book outlining a method for naming chemical substances. The name they used, carbone, is based on the earlier Latin term for charcoal, charbon. Coal, soot (nearly pure carbon), and diamonds are all nearly pure forms of carbon. Physical properties Carbon exists in a number of allotropic forms. Allotropes are forms of an element with different physical and chemical properties. Two allotropes of carbon have crystalline structures: diamond and graphite.

In a crystalline material, atoms are arranged in a neat orderly pattern. Graphite is found in pencil "lead" and ball-bearing lubricants. Among the non-crystalline allotropes of carbon are coal, lampblack, charcoal, carbon black, and coke. Carbon black is similar to soot. Coke is nearly pure carbon formed when coal is heated in the absence of air. Carbon allotropes that lack crystalline structure are amorphous, or without crystalline shape. The allotropes of carbon have very different chemical and physical properties. For example, diamond is the hardest natural substance known. It has a rating of 10 on the Mohs scale. The Mohs scale is a way of expressing the hardness of a material. It runs from 0 (for talc) to 10 (for diamond). The melting point of diamond is about 3,700°C (6,700°F) and its boiling point is about 4,200°C (7,600°F). Its density is 3.50 grams per cubic centimeter. On the other hand, graphite is a very soft material. It is often used as the "lead" in lead pencils.

It has a hardness of 2.0 to 2.5 on the Mohs scale. Graphite does not melt when heated, but sublimes at about 3,650°C (6.600°F). Sublimination is the process by which a solid changes directly to a gas when heated, without first changing to a liquid. Its density is about 1.5 to 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter. The numerical value for these properties varies depending on where the graphite originates. The amorphous forms of carbon, like other non-crystalline materials, do not have clear-cut melting and boiling points. Their densities vary depending on where they originate. Chemical properties Carbon does not dissolve in or react with water, acids, or most other materials. It does, however, react with oxygen. It burns in air to produce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO). The combustion (burning) of coal gave rise to the Industrial Revolution (1700-1900). Another highly important and very unusual property of carbon is its ability to form long chains. It is not unusual for two atoms of an element to combine with each other.

Oxygen (O 2 ), nitrogen (N 2 ), hydrogen (H 2 ), chlorine (Cl 2 ), and bromine (Br 2 ) are a few of the elements that can do this. Some elements can make even longer strings of atoms. Rings of six and eight sulfur atoms (S 6 and S 8 ), for example, are not unusual. Carbon has the ability to make virtually endless strings of atoms. If one could look at a molecule of almost any plastic, for example, a long chain of carbon atoms attached to each other (and to other atoms as well) would be evident. Carbon chains can be even more complicated. Some chains have side chains hanging off them. Arrangement of carbon atoms in a diamond. There is almost no limit to the size and shape of molecules that can be made with carbon atoms. (See accompanying diagrams.) Buckyballs are a recently discovered form of pure carbon. These spheres are made up of exactly 60 linked carbon atoms. Occurrence in nature Carbon is the sixth most common element in the universe and the fourth most common element in the solar system. It is the second most common element in the human body after oxygen.

About 18 percent of a person's body weight is due to carbon. The black color of smoke is caused by unburned specks of carbon. Carbon is the 17th most common element in the Earth's crust. Its abundance has been estimated to be between 180 and 270 parts per million. It rarely occurs as a diamond or graphite. Carbon reacts with oxygen by burning in air. Both allotropes are formed in the earth over millions of years, when dead plant materials are squeezed together at very high temperatures. Diamonds are usually found hundreds or thousands of feet beneath the earth's surface. Africa has many diamond mines. Carbon also occurs in a number of minerals. Among the most common of these minerals are the carbonates of calcium (CaCO 3 ) and magnesium (MgCO 3 ). Carbon also occurs in the form of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide makes up only a small part of the atmosphere (about 300 parts per million), but it is a crucial gas. Plants use carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates (starches and sugars).

This process is the source of life on Earth. Carbon also occurs in coal, oil, and natural gas. These materials are often known as fossil fuels. They get that name because of the way they were formed. They are the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. When they died, they fell into water or were trapped in mud. Over millions of years, they slowly decayed. The products of that decay process were coal, oil, and natural gas. Some forms of coal are nearly pure carbon. Oil and natural gas are made primarily of hydrocarbons, which are compounds made of carbon and hydrogen. Isotopes Three isotopes of carbon occur in nature, carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14. One of these isotopes, carbon-14, is radioactive. Isotopes are two or more forms of an element. Isotopes differ from each other according to their mass number. The number written to the right of the element's name is the mass number. The mass number represents the number of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of the element.

The number of protons determines the element, but the number of neutrons in the atom of any one element can vary. Each variation is an isotope. Five artificial radioactive isotopes of carbon are known also. A radioactive isotope is one that breaks apart and gives off some form of radiation. Artificial radioactive isotopes can be made by firing very small particles (such as protons) at atoms. These particles stick in the atoms and make them radioactive. Carbon-14 has some limited applications in industry. For example, it can be used to measure the thickness of objects, such as sheets of steel. The steel must always be the same thickness. Carbon is the sixth most common element in the universe and the fourth most common element in the solar system. In this process, a small sample of carbon-14 is placed above the conveyor belt carrying the steel sheet. A detection device is placed below the sheet. The detection device counts the amount of radiation passing through the sheet. If the sheet gets thicker, Less radiation gets through. If the sheet gets thinner, more radiation gets through. The detector records how much radiation passes through the sheet. If the amount becomes too high or too low, the conveyor belt is turned off.

The machine making the sheet is adjusted to produce steel of the correct thickness. The most important use of carbon-14 is in finding the age of old objects (see accompanying sidebar for more information). Extraction Diamond, graphite, and other forms of carbon are taken directly from mines in the earth. Diamond and graphite can also be made in laboratories. Synthetic diamonds, for example, are made by placing pure carbon under very high pressures (about 800,000 pounds per square inch) and temperatures (about 2,700°C). The carbon is heated and squeezed in the same way organic material is heated and squeezed in the earth. Today, about a third of all diamonds used are synthetically produced. Carbon-14 dating W hen an organism is alive, it takes in carbon dioxide from the air around it. Most of that carbon dioxide is made of carbon-12, but a tiny portion consists of carbon-14. So the living organism always contains a very small amount of radioactive carbon, carbon-14. A detector next to the living organism would record radiation given off by the carbon-14 in the organism. When the organism dies, it no longer takes in carbon dioxide.

No new carbon-14 is added, and the old carbon-14 slowly decays into nitrogen. The amount of carbon-14 slowly decreases as time goes on. Over time, less and less radiation from carbon-14 is produced. The amount of carbon-14 radiation detected for an organism is a measure, therefore, of how long the organism has been dead. This method of determining the age of an organism is called carbon-14 dating. The decay of carbon-14 allows archaeologists (people who study old civilizations) to find the age of once-living materials. Measuring the amount of radiation remaining indicates the approximate age. Uses There are many uses for carbon's two key allotropes, diamond and graphite. Diamonds are one of the most beautiful and expensive gemstones in the world. But they also have many industrial uses. Because they are so hard they are used to polish, grind, and cut glass, metals, and other materials. The bit on an oil-drilling machine may be made of diamonds. The tool used to make thin tungsten wires is also made of diamonds. Synthetic diamonds are more commonly used in industry than in jewelry.

Industrial diamonds do not have to be free of flaws, as do jewelry diamonds. Graphite works well as pencil lead because it rubs off easily. It is also used as a lubricant. Graphite is added to the space between machine parts that rub against each other. The graphite allows the parts to slide over each other smoothly. Graphite is also used as a refractory. Refractory material can withstand very high temperatures by reflecting heat away from itself. Refractory materials are used to line ovens used to maintain high temperatures. Graphite is used in nuclear power plants. A nuclear power plant converts nuclear energy to electrical power. Graphite acts as a moderator by slowing down the neutrons used in the nuclear reaction. Graphite is used to make black paint, in explosives and matches, and in certain kinds of cathode ray tubes, like the ones used in television sets. Amorphous forms of carbon have many uses. These include the black color in inks, pigments (paints), rubber tires, stove polish, typewriter ribbons, and phonograph records. One form of carbon is known as activated charcoal. The term activated means that the charcoal has been ground into a very fine powder.

In this form, charcoal can remove impurities from liquids that pass through. For example, activated charcoal removes color and odor from oils and water solutions. The decay of carbon-14 allows archaeologists (people who study old civilizations) to find the age of once-living materials. Compounds Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is used to make carbonated beverages (it's the fizz in soda pop and beer), in fire extinguishers, and as a propellant in aerosol products. A propellant is a gas that pushes liquids out of a spray can, such as those used for deodorant or hair spray. Carbon dioxide can also be frozen to a solid called dry ice. It is widely used as a way of keeping objects cold. Solid carbon dioxide is most commonly known as dry ice. Carbon monoxide (CO) is another compound formed between carbon and oxygen. Carbon monoxide is a very toxic gas produced when something burns in a limited amount of air. Carbon monoxide is always formed when gasoline burns in the engine of an automobile and is a common part of air pollution. Old heating units can produce carbon monoxide. This colorless and odorless gas can cause headaches, illness, coma, or even death.

Carbon monoxide has a few important industrial uses. It is often used to obtain a pure metal from the ore of that metal: It would take a very large book to describe all the uses of organic compounds, which are divided into a number of families. An organic family is a group of organic compounds with similar structures and properties. The largest organic family is the hydrocarbons, compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen. Methane, or natural gas (CH 4 ), ethane (C 2 H 6 ), propane (C 3 H 8 ), ethylene (C 2 H 4 ), and benzene (C 6 H 6 ) are all hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are used as fuels. Gas stoves burn natural gas, which is mostly methane. Propane gas is a popular camping fuel, used in small stoves and lanterns. Another important use of hydrocarbons is in the production of more complicated organic compounds. Buckyballs and nanotubes In the 1980s, chemists discovered a new allotrope of carbon. The carbon atoms in this allotrope are arranged in a sphere-like form of 60 atoms.

The form resembles a building invented by American architect Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983). The building is known as a geodesic dome. Each of the points on the dome is occupied by one carbon atom. The discoverers named the new form of carbon buckminsterfullerene in honor of Fuller. That name is too long to use in everyday conversation so it is usually shortened to fullerene or buckyball. The discovery of the fullerene molecule was very exciting to chemists. They had never seen a molecule like it. They have been studying ways of working with this molecule. One interesting technique has been to cut open just one small part of the molecule. Then they cut open a small part on a second molecule. Finally, they join the two buckyballs together. They get a double-buckyball. Repeating this process over and over could result in triple-buckyballs, quadruple-buckyballs, and so on. As this process is repeated, the buckyball becomes a long narrow tube called a nanotube. Nanotubes are long, thin, and extremely tiny tubes somewhat like a drinking straw or a long piece of spaghetti. Scientists are beginning to find ways of using nanotubes.

One idea is to run a thin chain of metal atoms through the center of a nanotube. This allows it to act like a tiny electrical wire. Nanotubes may completely change many devices that will be made in the future. Other organic families contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Methyl alcohol (wood alcohol) and ethyl alcohol (grain alcohol) are the most common members of the alcohol family. Methyl alcohol is used to make other organic compounds and as a solvent (a substance that dissolves other substances). Ethyl alcohol is used for many of the same purposes. It is also the alcohol found in beer, wine, and hard liquor, such as whiskey and vodka. All alcohols are poisonous but some alcohols are more poisonous than others. If not drunk in moderation, alcoholic beverages can damage the body and brain. And, if drunk in large quantities, they can cause death. Methyl alcohol is more toxic than ethyl alcohol. People who have drunk methyl alcohol by mistake have died. The list of everyday products made from organic compounds is very long.

It includes drugs, artificial fibers, dyes, artificial colors and flavors, food additives, cosmetics, plastics of all kinds, detergents, synthetic rubber, adhesives, antifreeze, pesticides and herbicides, synthetic fuels, and refrigerants. Health effects Carbon is essential to life. Nearly every molecule in a living organism contains carbon. The study of carbon compounds that occur in living organisms is called biochemistry (bio- = life + -chemistry ). Carbon can also have harmful effects on organisms. For example, coal miners sometimes develop a disease known as black lung. The name comes from the appearance of the miner's lungs. Instead of being pink and healthy, the miner's lungs are black. The black color is caused by coal dust inhaled by the miner. The longer a miner works digging coal, the more the coal dust is inhaled. That worker's lungs become more and more black. Color is not the problem with black lung disease however. The coal dust in the lungs blocks the tiny holes through which oxygen gets into the lungs. As more coal dust accumulates, more holes are plugged up, making it harder for the miner to breathe. Many miners eventually die from black lung disease because they lose the ability to breathe. Carbon is essential to life.

Nearly every molecule in a living organism contains carbon. Carbon monoxide poisoning is another serious health problem. Carbon monoxide is formed whenever coal, oil, or natural gas bums. For example, the burning of gasoline in cars and trucks produces carbon monoxide. Today, almost every person in the United States inhales some carbon monoxide every day. Small amounts of carbon monoxide are not very dangerous. But larger amounts cause a variety of health problems. At low levels, carbon monoxide causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, and loss of balance. At higher levels, a person can lose consciousness. At even higher levels, carbon monoxide can cause death. Also read article about Carbon from Wikipedia User Contributions: carbon (C) | chemical element | Britannica.com chemical element charcoal Carbon (C), a nonmetallic chemical element in Group 14 (IVa) of the periodic table . Although widely distributed in nature, carbon is not particularly plentiful—it makes up only about 0.025 percent of Earth ’s crust—yet it forms more compounds than all the other elements combined.

In 1961 the isotope carbon-12 was selected to replace oxygen as the standard relative to which the atomic weights of all the other elements are measured. Carbon-14 , which is radioactive, is the isotope used in radiocarbon dating and radiolabeling. Properties and uses On a weight basis, carbon is 19th in order of elemental abundance in the crust of Earth, and there are estimated to be 3.5 times as many carbon atoms as silicon atoms in the universe . Only hydrogen , helium , oxygen , neon , and nitrogen are atomically more abundant in the cosmos than carbon. Carbon is the cosmic product of the “burning” of helium in which three helium nuclei, atomic number 4, fuse to produce a carbon nucleus, atomic number 12. In the crust of Earth, elemental carbon is a minor component. However, carbon compounds (i.e., carbonates of magnesium and calcium ) form common minerals (e.g., magnesite , dolomite , marble , or limestone ). Coral and the shells of oysters and clams are primarily calcium carbonate . Carbon is widely distributed as coal and in the organic compounds that constitute petroleum , natural gas , and all plant and animal tissue.

A natural sequence of chemical reactions called the carbon cycle —involving conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide to carbohydrates by photosynthesis in plants, the consumption of these carbohydrates by animals and oxidation of them through metabolism to produce carbon dioxide and other products, and the return of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere —is one of the most important of all biological processes. carbon group element: Carbon as an element was discovered by the first person to handle charcoal from fire. Thus, together with sulfur , iron, tin , lead, copper, mercury , silver , and gold , carbon was one of the small group of elements well known in the ancient world. Modern carbon chemistry dates from the development of coals, petroleum, and natural gas as fuels and from the elucidation of synthetic organic chemistry, both substantially developed since the 1800s. Similar Topics polyolefin Elemental carbon exists in several forms, each of which has its own physical characteristics. Two of its well-defined forms, diamond and graphite , are crystalline in structure, but they differ in physical properties because the arrangements of the atoms in their structures are dissimilar. A third form, called fullerene , consists of a variety of molecules composed entirely of carbon.

A fourth form, called Q-carbon, is crystalline and magnetic. Yet another form, known as carbon black , is amorphous in structure and includes charcoal , lampblack , coal , and coke , although X-ray examination has revealed that these substances do possess a low degree of crystallinity. Diamond and graphite occur naturally on Earth, and they also can be produced synthetically; they are chemically inert but do combine with oxygen at high temperatures , just as amorphous carbon does. Fullerene was serendipitously discovered in 1985 as a synthetic product in the course of laboratory experiments to simulate the chemistry in the atmosphere of giant stars. It was later found to occur naturally in tiny amounts on Earth and in meteorites . Q-carbon is also synthetic, but scientists have speculated that it could form within the hot environments of some planetary cores.

The word carbon probably derives from the Latin carbo, meaning variously “coal,” “charcoal,” “ember.” The term diamond, a corruption of the Greek word adamas, “the invincible,” aptly describes the permanence of this crystallized form of carbon, just as graphite, the name for the other crystal form of carbon, derived from the Greek verb graphein, “to write,” reflects its property of leaving a dark mark when rubbed on a surface. Before the discovery in 1779 that graphite when burned in air forms carbon dioxide, graphite was confused with both the metal lead and a superficially similar substance, the mineral molybdenite. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Pure diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance known and is a poor conductor of electricity . Graphite, on the other hand, is a soft slippery solid that is a good conductor of both heat and electricity. Carbon as diamond is the most expensive and brilliant of all the natural gemstones and the hardest of the naturally occurring abrasives. Graphite is used as a lubricant.

In microcrystalline and nearly amorphous form, it is used as a black pigment , an adsorbent, a fuel, a filler for rubber , and, mixed with clay , as the “lead” of pencils . Because it conducts electricity but does not melt, graphite is also used for electrodes in electric furnaces and dry cells as well as for making crucibles in which metals are melted. Molecules of fullerene take the form of spheroidal closed cages containing various numbers of carbon atoms and long hollow cylinders (the latter being known as nanotubes). They show promise in a range of applications, including high-tensile-strength materials, unique electronic and energy-storage devices, and safe encapsulation of flammable gases such as hydrogen. Q-carbon , which is created by rapidly cooling a sample of elemental carbon the temperature of which has been raised to 4,000 K (3,727 °C [6,740 °F]), is harder than diamond, and it can be used to manufacture diamond structures (such as diamond films and microneedles) within its matrix. Elemental carbon is nontoxic.

Periodic Table of the Elements Each of the amorphous forms of carbon has its own specific character, and, hence, each has its own particular applications. All are products of oxidation and other forms of decomposition of organic compounds. Coal and coke, for example, are used extensively as fuels. Charcoal is used as an absorptive and filtering agent and as a fuel and in the manufacture of gunpowder . (Coals are elemental carbon mixed with varying amounts of carbon compounds; coke and charcoal are nearly pure carbon.) In addition to its uses in making inks, carbon paper , typewriter ribbons, and paints , carbon black also is added to the rubber used in tires to improve its wearing qualities. Bone black , or animal charcoal, can adsorb gases and colouring matter from many other materials; a major use is in decolourizing raw sugar . Connect with Britannica Carbon, either elemental or combined, is usually determined quantitatively by conversion to carbon dioxide gas , which can then be absorbed by other chemicals to give either a weighable product or a solution with acidic properties that can be titrated.

Production of elemental carbon Until 1955 all diamonds were obtained from natural deposits, most significant in southern Africa but occurring also in Brazil , Venezuela , British Guiana (now Guyana ), and Siberia . The single known source in the United States , in Arkansas , has no commercial importance, nor is India , once historically a source of fine diamonds, a significant present-day supplier. The primary source of diamonds is a soft, bluish-coloured peridotic rock called kimberlite (after the famous deposit at Kimberley, South Africa ), found in volcanic structures called pipes; but many diamonds occur in alluvial deposits presumably resulting from the weathering of primary sources. Isolated finds around the world in regions where no sources are indicated have not been uncommon. Natural deposits are worked by crushing, by gravity and flotation separations, and by removal of diamonds by their adherence to a layer of grease on a suitable table.

The following products result: (1) diamond proper—distorted cubic-crystalline, gem-quality stones varying from colourless to red, pink, blue, green, and yellow; (2) bort—minute, dark crystals of abrasive but not gem quality; (3) ballas—randomly oriented crystals of abrasive quality; (4) macles—triangular, pillow-shaped crystals that are industrially useful; and (5) carbonado—mixed diamond–graphite crystallites containing other impurities. The successful laboratory conversion of graphite to diamond was made in 1955. The procedure involved the simultaneous use of extremely high pressure and temperature with iron as a solvent or catalyst . Subsequently, chromium , manganese , cobalt , nickel , and tantalum were substituted for iron . Synthetic diamonds are now manufactured in several countries and are being used increasingly in place of natural materials as industrial abrasives . Graphite occurs naturally in many areas, the deposits of major importance being in South Korea , Austria , China , Mexico , Madagascar , Germany , Sri Lanka , and Russia . Both surface- and deep-mining techniques are used, followed by flotation , but the major portion of commercial graphite is produced by heating petroleum coke in an electric furnace .

A better crystallized form, known as pyrolytic graphite, is obtained from the decomposition of low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons by heat. Graphite fibres of considerable tensile strength are obtained by carbonizing natural and synthetic organic fibres. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Compound vs Element - Difference and Comparison | Diffen Compound vs. Element Diffen › Science › Chemistry Elements and compounds are pure chemical substances found in nature. The difference between an element and a compound is that an element is a substance made of same type of atoms, whereas a compound is made of different elements in definite proportions. Examples of elements include iron, copper, hydrogen and oxygen. Examples of compounds include water (H2O) and salt (Sodium Chloride - NaCl) Elements are listed according to their atomic number on the Periodic Table. Among the 117 known elements, 94 are naturally occurring like carbon, oxygen, hydrogen etc. 22 are artificially produced having undergone radioactive changes. The reason for this is their instability due to which they undergo radioactive decay over a period of time giving rise to new elements during the process like Uranium, Thorium, Bismuth etc.

Elements combine in fixed ratios and give rise to stable compounds due to chemical bonds that facilitate compound formation. Comparison chart 4 References Differences in Properties Elements are distinguished by their name, symbol, atomic number, melting point, boiling point, density and ionization energies . In the Periodic Table, elements are arranged according to their atomic number and they are grouped according to similar chemical properties and are depicted by their symbols. Atomic number – the atomic number is denoted by the letter Z and is the number of protons present in the nucleus of the atom of element. For e.g. carbon has 6 protons in its nucleus and for Carbon, Z = 6. Number of protons is also indicative of electric charge or number of electrons present in the nucleus which determines chemical properties of the element. Atomic Mass – the letter A indicates the atomic mass of the element which is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of the element. Isotopes of the same elements differ in their atomic masses. Isotopes – isotopes of an element have the same number of protons in their nucleus but differ in the number of neutrons. Naturally occurring elements have more than one stable isotope.

Thus isotopes have similar chemical properties (due to same number of protons) but different nuclear properties (due to different number of neutrons). For e.g. carbon has three isotopes, Carbon - 12, Carbon -13 and Carbon - 14. Allotropes – atoms of an element can form bonds with each other in more than one way leading to difference in their chemical properties. For e.g. carbon binds in a tetrahedron to form diamond and layers of hexagons of carbon forms graphite. Compounds are composed of different elements in a fixed proportion. For example, 1 atom of sodium (Na) combines with 1 atom of chlorine (Cl) to form one molecule of sodium chloride (NaCl) compound. The elements in a compound do not always retain their original properties and cannot be separated by physical means. The combining of elements is facilitated by their valency. Valency is defined as the number of hydrogen atoms required that can combine with an atom of the element forming the compound. Most compounds can exist as solids (low enough temperatures) and can be decomposed by the application of heat. Sometimes foreign elements are trapped inside crystal structure of compounds giving them a non homogeneous structure.

Compounds are depicted by their chemical formula which follows the Hill system wherein carbon atoms are listed first, followed by hydrogen atoms after which elements are listed in alphabetical order. History of Elements and Compounds Elements were initially used as a reference to any state of matter like liquid, gas, air, solid etc. Indian, Japanese and Greek traditions refer to five elements namely, air, water, earth, fire and aether. Aristotle conceptualized a new fifth element called 'quintessence' - which apparently formed the heavens. As research continued, many eminent scientists paved way for the current understanding and description of elements. Among them, work of Robert Boyle, Antoine Lavoisier, Dmitri Mendeleev are particularly notable. Lavoisier was the first to make a list of chemical elements and Mendeleev was the first to arrange elements according to their atomic number in the Periodic Table. The most current definition of an element is awarded by the studies carried out by Henry Moseley which states that the atomic number of an atom is expressed physically by its nuclear charge. Before the 1800s the usage of term compound could also mean a mixture.

It was in the 19th century that meaning of a compound could be distinguished from a mixture. Alchemists like Joseph Louis Proust, Dalton and Berthollet and their studies on various compounds have given modern chemistry the current definition of compound. Proust’s work demonstrated to the world of chemistry that compounds were made constant composition of respective elements. CAS Number Every chemical substance is identified by its unique numerical identifier – the CAS (chemical abstracts service) number. Hence every chemical compound and element has a CAS number. This makes database searches for elements and compounds more convenient. References

Question: What chemical element is a pure diamond?
Answer: Carbon