CARBON AND ITS COMPOUNDS

Introduction

Carbon is the one of the most important and unique metallic elements. The word carbon
has been derived from the Latin word ‘carbo’, which means sweet and charcoal. Carbon
is widely distributed on the earth in free as well as combined state, it is present in
diamond, graphite, charcoal, coal etc. whereas in the combined state, it is present in
carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonates, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, nucleic
acid, petroleum, natural gases, etc. The bodies of living beings contain carbon and its
compounds in abundant quantity. When we burn this carbon containing compounds, we
get black shoot, smoke, charcoal etc.

Carbon occurs in different forms with different physical properties which are called
allotropes. Diamond is one of the hardest allotropes which is transparent, brilliant and
precious whereas graphite is another soft, slippery, black and greasy allotrope of
carbon.

Activity 1
Objective : To prove sugar contains carbon

Materials required: sugar, hard glass test tube and source of heat (Bunsen burner)

Procedure : keep some sugar in the hard glass test tube and heat with the help

Of the Bunsen burner.

Observation

1. Initially at about 1860C sugar melts and gives yellowish syrup.

2. On further heating, it turns into brownish mass with good smell which is called
caramel.
3. At final stage, the mass is converted into black matter called charcoal, i.e.
carbon.

Conclusion

The above activity shows that sugar contains carbon.