| 1) Element name: Carbon
2) Element symbol: C
3) Number of electrons, protons, and neutrons: 6 electron, 6 proton, 6 neutrons
4) Atomic number: 6
5) Atomic mass: 12.011
6) Characteristics: Elemental carbon exists in three forms, each of which has its own physical characteristics. Two of the forms, diamond and graphite, are crystalline in structure; but they differ in physical properties because the arrangements of the atoms in their structures are dissimilar. The third form, known as carbon black, is amorphous in structure. Pure diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance known and is a poor conductor of electricity. Graphite, on the other hand, is a soft, slippery solid that is a good conductor of both heat and electricity.
7) History: In 1985, scientists vaporized graphite to produce a stable form of carbon molecule consisting of 60 carbon atoms in a roughly spherical shape looking like a soccer ball. The molecule was named buckminsterfullerene - "bucky ball" in short - in honor of R. Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome. The molecule may be common in interstellar dust. Three things made from the element: The three forms of elemental carbon which occur in nature: - diamond - graphite - amorphous carbon are solids with extremely high melting points and are insoluble in all solvents at ordinary temperatures.
8) Isotopes: Carbon-12 is the most common isotope of carbon. In 1966 this isotope was chosen to replace the isotope oxygen-16 as the standard for atomic weights, and was assigned the atomic weight of 12. Carbon-13 has 7 neutrons, therefore having an atomic mass of 13. Carbon-14 is highly radioactive decaying into nitrogen. It has an atomic mass of 14.
9) At high temperatures it reacts directly with most metals to form carbides, and with oxygen to form carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
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