Carbon

:Alternative meaning: Carbon (API)

Occurrence

There are nearly ten million carbon compounds that are known to science and many thousands of these are vital to life processes and very economically important organic-based reactions. This element is abundant in the sun, stars, comets, and in the atmospheres of most planets. Some meteorites contain microscopic diamonds that were formed when the solar system was still a protoplanetary disk. In combination with other elements, carbon is found the earth's atmosphere and dissolved in all bodies of water. With smaller amounts of calcium, magnesium, and iron, it is a major component of very large masses carbonate rock (limestone, dolomite, marble etc.). When combined with hydrogen, carbon forms coal, petroleum, and natural gas which are called hydrocarbons.

Related Topics:
Science - Sun - Star - Comet - Atmosphere - Planet - Meteorite - Solar system - Protoplanetary disk - Calcium - Magnesium - Iron - Carbonate - Rock - Limestone - Dolomite - Marble - Hydrogen - Coal - Petroleum - Natural gas - Hydrocarbon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Graphite is found in large quantities in New York and Texas, the United States; Russia; Mexico; Greenland and India.

Related Topics:
New York - Texas - United States - Russia - Mexico - Greenland - India

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Natural diamonds occur in the mineral kimberlite found in ancient volcanic "necks," or "pipes". Most diamond deposits are in Africa, notably in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, the Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone. There are also deposits in Arkansas, Canada, the Russian Arctic, Brazil and in Northern and Western Australia.

Related Topics:
Kimberlite - Volcanic - Africa - South Africa - Namibia - Botswana - Republic of the Congo - Sierra Leone - Arkansas - Canada - Arctic - Brazil - Australia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~