A.The History of Carbon Carbon, an element discovered before history itself, is one of the most abundant elements in the universe. It can be found in the sun, the stars,comets, and the atmospheres of most planets. There are close to ten millionknown carbon compounds, many thousands of which are vital to the basis of lifeitself (WWW 1). Carbon occurs in many forms in nature. One of its purest forms is diamond.Diamond is the hardest substance known on earth. Although diamonds found innature are colorless and transparent, when combined with other elements itscolor can range from pastels to black. Diamond is a poor conductor of heat andelectricity. Until 1955 the only sources of diamond were found in deposits ofvolcanic origin. Since then scientists have found ways to make diamond fromgraphite and other synthetic materials. Diamonds of true gem quality are notmade in this way (Beggott 3-4). Graphite is another form of carbon. It occurs as a mineral in nature, but itcan be made artificially from amorphous carbon. One of the main uses forgraphite is for its lubricating qualities. Another is for the "lead" in pencils. Graphite is used as a heat resistant material and an electricity conductor. Itis also used in nuclear reactors as a lubricator (Kino*censored*a 119-127). Amorphous carbon is a deep black powder that occurs in nature as a component ofcoal. It may be obtained artificially from almost any organic substance byheating the substance to very high temperatures without air. Using this method,coke is produced from coal, and charcoal is produced from wood. Amorphouscarbon is the most reactive form of carbon. Because amorphous carbon burnseasily in air, it is used as a combustion fuel. The most important uses foramorphous carbon are as a filler for rubber and as a black pigment in paint (WWW2). There are two kinds of carbon compounds. The first is inorganic. Inorganiccompounds are binary compounds of carbon with metal...
