The Element of Life: Carbon meenakshi nair ka

1. The Element of Life: Carbon
Have you ever wondered , what is the similarity between the diamond that you
usually use as jewelry and the graphite lead of the pencil that you are using to
write ? Yes , your right ! I am talking about the non metal element used in both
the substance , carbon !
Carbon comes from the latin word carbo which means coal. It is one of the most
useful , strong and fascinating non-metals of the periodic table. Placing 6 th in the
periodic table carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe by mass
and the 15th most abundant element on the earth's crust. Carbon is known to be
the backbone of life .
So what are the properties of this element ? In simple words properties of carbon
are normally not lustrous , malleable or ductile.It is known mostly for its binding
ability with other elements.It is also highly unreactive.It is normally solid at room
temperature.When we consider the allotropes of carbon , the situation changes
for example , It becomes the hardest natural substance in the world at the state of
diamond but becomes one of the softest substances at the state of graphite. A
similar example is that when carbon in the state of diamond is a good conductor
of heat but is a bad conductor of electricity . Similarly , carbon in the state of
graphite is a great electrical conductor but is not a good conductor of heat .
So what use is a soft, black coloured non-metal ? In the form of coal it is used as
fuel for vehicles . It is also used as steam coal or thermal coal which is used in
power generation . In the form of graphite it is used for making pencil leads ,
crucibles , electrodes and also as lubricant . Carbon in the form of diamond is used
as jewellery as well as used in industry for drilling , cutting etc . Carbon as carbon

2. 14 is used in archaeological dating. Carbon as carbon nanotube can be used as
adhesive to synthetic material . Carbon nanotube also acts as a drug delivery
mechanism in certain therapies . It is also used for tissue regeneration and artificial
implants.Therefore we can conclude that carbon is one of the most useful non-
metals in the periodic table.