Carbon Facts for Kids

Carbon Periodic Table
  • Name: Carbon
  • Symbol: C
  • Atomic Number: 6
  • Atomic Weight: 12.0107 u
  • Period: 2
  • Group: 14

21 Carbon Facts for Kids

  1. Carbon is a chemical element on the periodic table.
  2. Carbon was identified as an element in 1789, by French chemist Antoine Lavoisier.
  3. Carbon is a solid at room temperature.
  4. The symbol for carbon is C.
  5. The atomic number for carbon is 6.
  6. The standard atomic weight for carbon is 12.0107 u.
  7. Carbon is in the reactive nonmetal element category on the periodic table.
  8. Carbon is a period 2 chemical element, which is the second row on the periodic table.
  9. Carbon is a group 14 chemical element, which is the carbon group.
  10. Carbon has 15 known isotopes.
  11. The melting point for carbon is 6,422 °F (3,550 °C).
  12. The boiling point for carbon is 6,917 °F (3,825 °C).
  13. Carbon is the 15th most abundant element found on Earth.
  14. Carbon is the 4th most abundant element found in the universe.
  15. Coal is made of carbon and various other elements (hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur).
  16. Diamonds are made of carbon and form deep in the Earth’s mantle.
  17. Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, this odorless gas is deadly to humans.
  18. Carbon dioxide is a byproduct exhaled by humans and makes up about 4% of the Earth’s atmosphere.
  19. Carbon makes up 20% of the weight of a human body.
  20. Carbon can be used to determine the age of organic material using a process called carbon dating.
  21. Carbon is based on the Latin word carbo, which means “coal”.

Additional Resources on Carbon

  • Carbon – RSC – Read more about Carbon on the Royal Society of Chemistry website.
  • Carbon – JLabs – Find more awesome facts about carbon on the Thomas Jefferson Labs website.
  • Carbon – Britannica – Learn more about the carbon chemical element on the Britannica website.
  • Carbon – Wikipedia – Discover some interesting facts about carbon on the Wikipedia website.

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