Carbon is one of the major elements.
In this article, we will explain why diamonds are hard and what they are used for.
This article will definitely help you in your science lessons.
Contents
Properties and characteristics of Carbon
An element characterized by a significant change in properties depending on its crystal structure.
Pure carbon is considered the hardest substance.
How Carbon is used in society
Carbon is used in ‘diamonds’, ‘pencil lead’ and ‘sports equipment’. You may have heard of them.
In this article, I will also explain why diamonds are hard and pencil leads are soft.
Carbon is useful as “diamond.”
A crystal of pure carbon, the diamond, the hardest and most popular gemstone, is made of carbon.
It is hard because the carbon atoms have very strong bonds, called covalent bonds.
The commonly imagined shape of diamonds is what they look like after they have been processed, so diamonds in nature are much more irregular in shape.
Carbon is useful as “Pencil and mechanical pencil leads.”
Pencil and mechanical pencil leads are also made from carbon. The original is an elemental mineral called graphite, which is also composed of pure carbon but is a very soft substance.
This is because of van der Waals bonds, a weaker bonding structure than covalent bonds.
Carbon is useful for “sports equipment.”
When you hear the words ‘made of carbon’, do you think of expensive but lightweight luxury sports equipment?
Carbon fiber is used in a wide range of sports equipment, including the parts of road biking, golf clubs and tennis rackets.
It is also robust and light enough to be used in sports cars.
Incidentally, carbon fiber reinforced plastic is called CFRP and has recently become an essential material for futuristic items such as drones and hover bikes.
History of carbon
Chemical symbol: C
English name: Carbon
The word is derived from the Latin ‘carbo’ meaning ‘ Charcoal and coal ‘.
Carbon has a deep history and is said to have been discovered as far back as BC.
Summary
In this article, we have explained the following.
- Pure carbon is the hardest material.
- Carbon varies in hardness according to its bonding structure.
- Element recognized so long ago that it is said to have been discovered in B.C.
If you are interested in other elements, please see the following article for a summary.
