Atomic Symbol: C
Atomic Number: 6
Atomic Weight: 12.0107
Isotopes and Abundances: 12C: ~98.89%, 13C: ~1.11%, 14C ~10−12
Atm Melting Point*: 3550 °C
1 Atm Boiling Point*: 4492 °C (101 kPa)
Common Valences: −4, 0, +2, +4
Ionic Radii: 30 pm (4+)
Pauling Electronegativity: 2.5
First Ionization Energy: 1086 kJmol−1
Chondritic (CI) Abundance: 3.65 wt%
Silicate Earth Abundance: 50–500 ppm
Crustal Abundance: ~1800 ppm
Seawater Abundance: ~28 ppm
Core Abundance: unknown 0.2–2%
Properties
Carbon has three isotopes, two are stable 12C (98.89%) and 13C (1.11%) plus a radioactive isotope 14C (~10−12). The systematics of carbon isotopes yield important information about their environments and are discussed separately (Cross reference #1). 12C is the standard which defines mass number 12 containing 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons.
The melting point of carbon is extremely high and varies with pressure*; in a carbon arc, it sublimes above ~5,530 °C, which is higher in...
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Jones, A. (2018). Carbon. In: White, W.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_174
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