Carbon | Chemistry

Madison County High School, Danielsville, Georgia, U.S.A.

Carbon, 6, Madison County High School, Georgia USA

Carbon: We had a competition for best carbon tile idea within the chemistry classes, then took the best 4-5 and asked one of our art students to work with it. The resulting tile focuses on how carbon is the element of life (represented with the Earth), but also how humans exploit carbon in ways which pollute our planet and even put life at risk (represented with the "carbon footprint" of smog). The saying at the top of the tile represents the willingness of so many to exploit carbon even in the face of knowledge that we are causing harm. But this saying also is important because diamond is very popular allotrope of carbon. Additionally, we show a Bucky Ball "moon" to celebrate the recent discovery that Buckminster Fullerenes (compounds consisting of 60 carbon atoms in a soccer ball shape) are more prevalent in the Universe than previously thought.

Dr. Becky M. Bundy, Madison County High School, Danielsville, Georgia, U.S.A.

Atomic properties*

Name:

Carbon

Symbol:

C

Atomic number:

6

Atomic mass:

12.011 amu

Density:

2.62 g/cm³ | 3.513 g/cm³ (diamond)

Sublimation point:

3825ºC

Electronegativity:

2.55

# of Isotopes:

3

State:

Solid

Colour:

Graphite: black | Diamond: colourless±

Classification:

Non-metallic±

* Haynes, W. M. (2011). Melting, Boiling, Triple and Critical Point Temperatures of the Elements. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 91st edition: http://www.hbcponline.com/

± Winter, M. (2010). Home of the Periodic Table. Retrieved April 8, 2011, from Web Elements: http://www.webelements.com/