Carbon (C)
"The Shapeshifter, the ultimate hero who forms the basis of all life, appearing as the hardest diamond or the softest graphite."
A memorable persona to anchor C in your mind.
2.267
Grams per cm³
3825
Celsius (°C)
170
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
The graphite ('lead') in your pencil.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
Ancient
Discovered By
Unknown
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from the Latin ‘carbo’, charcoal"
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
12.011 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
3825°C
Electron Configuration
[He] 2s22p2
1st Ionization Energy
11.26 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Exists in many forms, from the transparent, hard diamond to the soft, black graphite."
Did You Know?
It is the fourth most abundant element in the universe and is the fundamental building block for all known life on Earth.
Carbon exists in some of the softest (graphite) and hardest (diamond) known natural forms.
It is unique in its ability to form more chemical compounds than any other element, with almost ten million compounds discovered to date.
The age of ancient organic materials can be determined by measuring the amount of the radioactive isotope Carbon-14 they contain (radiocarbon dating).