Carbon
Carbon (碳, symbol C) is chemical element number 6, a Reactive Nonmetal in period 2, group 14 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 12.011. The foundation of organic chemistry and all known life. Exists as diamond, graphite, fullerenes, and more.
Properties
| Atomic number | 6 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | C |
| Atomic mass | 12.011 u |
| Category | Reactive Nonmetal |
| Period | 2 |
| Group | 14 |
| Electron configuration | [He] 2s² 2p² |
| Electronegativity | 2.55 |
| Covalent radius | 76 pm |
| Density | 2.267 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 3823 K |
| Boiling point | 4098 K |
| Discovery | Known since antiquity |
Overview
The foundation of organic chemistry and all known life. Exists as diamond, graphite, fullerenes, and more. Carbon (C) is a Reactive Nonmetal with atomic number 6, located in period 2, group 14. As a nonmetal it tends to gain electrons, or to share them with other nonmetals when bonding.
It has the configuration [He] 2s² 2p² and an electronegativity near 2.55; its 4 outer-shell electrons drive its bonding. Under standard conditions it exists as a solid (a very high melting point); it melts near 3823 K (3549.9 °C), boils near 4098 K (3824.9 °C), has a density around 2.267 g/cm³.
It is widely used in Structural / Alloys, Energy / Batteries and Electronics / Semiconductors. You can explore C-containing compounds here such as CH₃COOH, H₂CO₃ and CaCO₃. It has been known since antiquity.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 4
Main uses
- Structural / Alloys
- Energy / Batteries
- Electronics / Semiconductors
Hazard
Compounds containing Carbon
Data sources
Atomic mass uses IUPAC (CIAAW) standard atomic weights; the covalent radius is from Cordero et al. (2008). Verify on the RSC Periodic Table, PubChem and Wikipedia. Educational reference only.