Facts about Carbon
- 09
Meteorites containing carbon compounds called carbonaceous chondrites delivered an estimated 100 million tons of organic material to early Earth, potentially seeding the chemistry necessary for life's origin.
- 08
Fossil fuels formed from ancient carbon-rich organisms took millions of years to develop, yet humans have burned through reserves accumulated over 300 million years in just two centuries.
- 07
Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice, is approximately 200 times stronger than steel while weighing six times less and conducting electricity better than copper.
- 06
Radioactive carbon-14, produced when cosmic rays strike Earth's atmosphere, decays with a half-life of 5,730 years, enabling archaeologists to date organic materials up to 50,000 years old.
- 05
At 3,550 degrees Celsius, carbon's sublimation point is higher than any other element, allowing it to transition directly from solid to gas without melting.
- 04
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rose from 280 parts per million in 1750 to over 420 parts per million by 2023, primarily due to fossil fuel combustion.
- 03
Diamond and graphite, both pure carbon, differ so drastically because their atomic arrangements create hardness ratings of 10 versus 1-2 on the Mohs scale.
- 02
In 1985, scientists discovered buckminsterfullerene, a spherical carbon molecule containing exactly 60 atoms arranged like a soccer ball.
- 01
The human body contains approximately 18 percent carbon by mass, making it the second most abundant element after oxygen in living organisms.