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What Is Carbon?

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Carbon's first known use was by the Egyptians and Sumerians in 3750 B.C. It was not until near the end of the eighteenth century was carbon an official element. It was "discovered" by A.L. Lavoisier in France. Carbon can be found in coal deposits, some stars, atmospheres of many planets, meteorites, fossilized remains, and in all living things. Carbon's name originated from the Greek word, "carbo", which means "charcoal" or "coal".

The atomic number of carbon is six and the atomic mass is 12.0115. The number of electrons, protons, and neutrons are all six. One can figure this out because the atomic number, the number of protons, and the number of electrons are all the same number. The number of neutrons can be found by subtracting the …show more content…

Some common compounds are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chloroform, methane, and acetic acid. Carbon is used as a lubricant, for grinding, as an abrasive, in jewelry, and in the basis of fuels, such as coal and oil. Carbon is also a key component in steel. The major benefit of carbon other than food and wood is in the form of hydrocarbons, especially, fossil fuel, methane gas, and petroleum. Carbon is essential to most living things. Carbon is a limitless resource that cycles through Earth in many forms. This makes carbon available to all organisms. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere helps us breathe too.

Hydrogen had been produced for many years by scientists before it officially became an element in 1766 due to a scientist called Henry Cavendish in London, England. It can be found in earth's atmosphere, the sun, meteorites, crustal rocks, water, and humans. Its name originates from the Greek words , "hydro" and "genes", which means "water forming" when put …show more content…

Neon can be used in neon lighting, the manufacture of lasers, which can be used in industry and medicine, cryogenic refrigerant, and in television tubes. Neon is important because it is used for lightning, signs, lasers and refrigeration. It is 40 times more efficient than helium and three times more efficient than hydrogen. While it is more expensive to isolate than hydrogen or helium, this efficiency makes it a cost-effective refrigerant. Because it's rare on Earth, it plays no known role in natural systems or biology. Without neon, there would not be neon signs which would harm both the public and businesses. Since the majority of neon usage is for neon signs which produces profit for businesses and save time and money for the consumer. Neon's nonexistence would be hurtful for both the public and businesses. Indeed, there are many other invaluable uses of neon that are not usually recognized by society. Neon's contribution in wave meter tubes, television tubes, and helium-neon lasers would be lost. It's use in specific refrigeration applications in place of the more pricey liquid helium also would be

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