Carbon Info

Symbol: C

Atomic Mass: 12.0107 amu

Atomic Number: 6

Name Origin: from the Latin carbo (coal)

Discovered By: Unknown

Date of Discovery: Also unknown (a loooooong time ago)

Diagram:


Placement on Periodic Table: second period, fourth group

Why it's there: It's in the fourth group because it has 4 valence electrons (which makes it stable).

Family: non-metal

Properties: Solid, black, melts at 3500.0 degrees C, boils at 4827.0 degrees C, hexagonal crystal structure, withstands most acids, gasses, corrosives, one of the better thermal conductors, resists electric current, 1 carbon can share electrons with up to 4 different atoms (4 valence electrons).

Isotopes: (5 isotopes) Carbon-11 has a half life of 20.3 min., C-12 is stable and is used as the base in atomic mass measurements (relative atomic mass), C-13 is stable, C-14 has a half life of 5730.0 years and is used in Carbon dating, C-15 has a half life of 2.5 seconds.

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