The Chemistry of Carbon Compounds

  Chemistry of carbon compound: Carbon plays a very important role for all living beings. The presence of carbon in the atmosphere of the earth is 0.03% in the form of carbon dioxide. The amount of carbon in the earth's crust is merely 0.02% which is available in the form of minerals such as carbonates, coal, and petroleum. Compounds of Carbon: Almost all carbon compounds (except a few) are poor conductors of electricity. The diamond and graphite both  are formed by carbon atoms; however,  the difference lies between them in the manner in which the carbon atoms are bonded to one another. In a diamond, each atom of the carbon is bonded to four other carbon atoms and forms a rigid 3-dimensional structure.  In graphite, each atom of the carbon is bonded to three other carbon atoms in the same plane, which gives a hexagonal array. There is a difference in some physical structures of diamond and graphite. Diamond is the hardest substance known whereas graphite is a smooth and slippery s