Organic Carbon Essay, Research Paper

I.Introduction A.The History of CarbonII.Occurrences in Nature A.Diamond B.Graphite C.Coal and Charcoal D.Amorphous CarbonIII.Carbon Compounds A.Inorganic B.OrganicIV.The Carbon CycleIV.ConclusionCarbon, an component discovered before history itself, is one of themost abundant elements in the existence. It can be found in the Sun, thestars, comets, and the ambiances of most planets. There are close to tenmillion known C compounds, many 1000s of which are critical to thebasis of life itself ( WWW 1 ) . Carbon occurs in many signifiers in nature. One of its purest signifiers isdiamond. Diamond is the hardest substance known on Earth. Althoughdiamonds found in nature are colorless and transparent, when combined withother elements its colour can run from pastels to black. Diamond is apoor music director of heat and electricity. Until 1955 the lone beginnings ofdiamond were found in sedimentations of volcanic beginning. Since so scientistshave found ways to do diamond from black lead and other syntheticmaterials. Diamonds of true treasure quality are non made in this manner ( Beggott3-4 ) . Graphite is another signifier of C. It occurs as a mineral innature, but it can be made unnaturally from formless C. One of themain utilizations for black lead is for its lubricating qualities. Another is forthe & # 8220 ; lead & # 8221 ; in pencils. Graphite is used as a heat immune stuff andan electricity music director. It is besides used in atomic reactors as alubricator ( Kinoshita 119-127 ) . Amorphous C is a deep black pulverization that occurs in nature as acomponent of coal. It may be obtained unnaturally from about any organicsubstance by heating the substance to really high temperatures without air. Using this method, coke is produced from coal, and wood coal is producedfrom wood. Amorphous C is the most reactive signifier of C. Becauseamorphous C Burnss easy in air, it is used as a burning fuel. Themost of import utilizations for formless C are as a filler for gum elastic and asa black pigment in pigment ( WWW 2 ) . There are two sorts of C compounds. The first is inorganic. Inorganic compounds are binary compounds of C with metals or metalcarbides. They have belongingss runing from reactive and saltlike ; foundin metals such as Na, Mg, and aluminium, to an unreactive andmetallic, such as Ti and Nb ( Beggott 4 ) . Carbon compounds incorporating nonmetals are normally gases or liquidswith low boiling points. Carbon monoxide, a gas, is odourless, colorless, and tasteless. It forms during the uncomplete burning of C ( Kinoshita 215-223 ) . It is extremely toxic to animate beings because it inhibits thetransport of O in the blood by haemoglobin ( WWW 2 ) . Carbon dioxide isa colorless, about odorless gas that is formed by the burning ofcarbon. It is a merchandise that consequences from respiration in most livingorganisms and is used by workss as a beginning of C. Frozen carbondioxide, known as dry ice, is used as a refrigerant. Fluorocarbons, suchas Freon, are used as refrigerants ( Kinoshita 225-226 ) . Organic compounds are those compounds that occur in nature. Thesimplest organic compounds consist of lone C and H, thehydrocarbons. The province of affair for organic compounds depends on howmany Cs are contained in it. If a compound has up to four Cs it

is a gas, if it has up to 20 Cs it is a liquid, and if it has morethan 20 Cs it

is a solid ( Kinoshita 230-237 ) . The C rhythm is the system of biological and chemical processesthat make C available to populating things for usage in tissue edifice andenergy release ( Kinoshita 242 ) . All life cells are composed of proteinsconsisting of C, H, O, and N in variouscombinations, and each life being puts these elements togetheraccording to its ain familial codification. To make this the being must hold theseavailable in particular compounds built around C. These specialcompounds are produced merely by workss, by the procedure of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a procedure in which chlorophyll traps and uses energy fromthe Sun in the signifier of visible radiation. Six molecules of C dioxide combine withsix molecules of H2O to organize one molecule of glucose ( sugar ) . Theglucose molecule consists of six atoms of C, 12 of H, andsix of O. Six O molecules, dwelling of two O atoms each, are besides produced and are discharged into the ambiance unless the plantneeds energy to populate. In that instance, the O combines with the glucoseimmediately, let go ofing six molecules of C dioxide and six of H2O foreach molecule of glucose ( Beggott 25-32 ) . The C rhythm is thencompleted as the works obtains the energy that was stored by the glucose. The length of clip required to finish the rhythm varies. In plantswithout an immediate demand for energy, the chemical processes continue in avariety of ways. By cut downing the H and O content of most ofthe sugar molecules by one H2O molecule and uniting them to organize largemolecules, workss produce substances such as amylum, inulin, and fatsand store them for future usage. Regardless of whether the stored nutrient isused subsequently by the works or consumed by some other being, the moleculeswill finally be digested and oxidized, and C dioxide and H2O willbe discharged. Other molecules of sugar undergo a series of chemicalchanges and are eventually combined with nitrogen compounds to organize proteinsubstances, which are so used to construct tissues ( WWW 2 ) . Although protein substances may go through from being to being, finally these excessively are oxidised and form C dioxide and H2O ascells wear out and are broken down, or as the being dice. In eithercase, a new set of beings, runing from Fungi to the big scavengers, use the waste merchandises or tissues for nutrient, digesting and oxidising thesubstances for energy release ( WWW 1 ) . At assorted times in the Earth’s history, some works and animaltissues have been protected by eroding and deposit from the naturalagents of decomposition and converted into substances such as peat, lignite, crude oil, and coal. The C rhythm, temporarily interrupted inthis mode, is completed as fuels are burned, and C dioxide and waterare once more added to the ambiance for reuse by populating things, and the solarenergy stored by photosynthesis ages ago is released ( Kinoshita 273-275 ) . Almost everything around us today has some connexion with carbonor a C compound. Carbon is in every life being. Without carbonlife would non be as we know it.

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1.Beggott, Jim Great Balls of Carbon New Scientist, July 6, 19912.Kinoshita, Kim Carbon Compounds Random, New York 119-27519873.WWW Carbon hypertext transfer protocol: //www.usc.edu/chem/carbon.html 19954.WWW Carbon Compounds hypertext transfer protocol: //www.harvard.edu/depts/chem/carbon.html1995