But diamonds are also used for industrial purposes. Carbon in its diamond form is used in jewellery.Carbohydrates are nothing but elements of carbon itself. The food we eat contains an important source of energy which we call carbohydrates. Sugar, glucose, proteins etc are all made of it. It makes up for 18% of the human body.

Now you may not even notice but carbon is used in so many daily activities.

It does not melt when heated, it sublimes which is it turns to gaseous form.Also both diamond and graphite are insoluble in water.Both allotropic elements are solid, non-gaseous.Now diamond cannot conduct electricity at all, graphite is a very good conductor of electricity.Diamond is the hardest substance known to man, graphite is soft and spongy in texture.Whereas diamond is transparent and has no colour, graphite is opaque and black.These two have almost opposing physical properties. The two major allotropes are diamond and graphite. The physical properties of this element vary according to its allotropes. Each of its atoms has four electrons in its outer shell called valence electrons and can form for chemical bonds with other atoms and molecules. It is because its atom is very small in size and can conveniently fit in as a part of larger molecules. A carbon atom is considered to be special and unique because it can bond with other carbon atoms to an almost unlimited degree. It has 6 protons, 6 neutrons and obviously 6 electrons. It is represented by the symbol C and is a non-metal. The atomic number of carbon is 6, which represents the number of electrons. Chemical Properties of Carbon Compounds.Browse more Topics under Carbon And Its Compounds As a matter of fact, all organic substances in the world contain carbon in some form or element, which is why it is the base for the entire branch of organic chemistry. And it is the second most abundant element in our bodies, the first being oxygen. This may come as a surprise to you, but it is the fourth most abundant element in the entire universe. The origin of the name ‘carbon’ is a Latin word ‘carbo’ which means charcoal.

Carbon periodic table facts