Carbon History

Of all the elements, one stands out as being arguably the most important, this being carbon. There are many interesting things about carbon including, facts about it, its history, and what it is used for. Carbon is a very important element, in fact, life could not exist without it.
Carbon (C on the periodic table) is a chemical element and is the sixth most abundant element in the world. Carbon is the 6th element on the periodic table in group 14, period 6, it has six protons, six electrons, and six neutrons, with an atomic mass of 12.01u. Carbon has a boiling point of 4,827C and a melting point of 3550C. Carbon has an astonishing 15 isotopes from C8 all the way to C22, but only C12 and C13 are stable. C14 has the longest half life of the isotopes
In nature, the two most common found versions of carbon are graphite and diamonds. Graphite is not only used for pencil lead, but many other industries use graphite in their products. One major use for graphite is in the steel industries. The steel companies mix graphite in with the iron to form a more efficient and stronger metal. Graphite can also be used as a dry lubricant. In places where a wet lubricant like oil cannot be used, finely ground graphite powder works great for these places. Graphite is the only nonmetal that is a conductor of electricity, making it desirable by electrical companies for wire and other electrical devices. The other natural form of carbon is diamonds. Diamonds are the most expensive stones mainly because of their beauty, but diamonds are not only for jewelry, in fact the majority of diamonds are used for industrial uses because of their hardness, they are desired by industrial companies for cutting, grinding, and drilling other hard material such as concrete. Carbon is also in many fuels naturally, including oil and coal, which both contain carbon. Steel companies also use carbon to combine with other metals to make carbides. Carbides are extremely hard and durable, resisting rust. Carbon Black is a finely ground carbon is used to make many different types of ink including printer ink and some ink in pens. Carbon Black is also one of the main ingredients in rubber, a insulator of electricity, meaning