CARBON AND IT'S USEFULNESS

Carbon is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6.Carbon represents about 18% of the living and it is continously circulated in nature. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds.Carbon occurs naturally as diamond and graphite,it also appears in an impure form known as COAL and in the combined state as carbon (iv) oxide.

Allotropes of carbon include graphite, diamond and more.This two allotropes of carbon serves many purposes.Diamond is used for sharpening of very hard tools since it is very dense and hard,Graphite on the other hand is used in manufacturing pencils and also used as electrodes in electrolytes which means it is a good conducter of electricity
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF CARBON
Carbon is the sixth element, with an electron configuration of 1s2 2s2 2p2.Here is a 3d model from google of Bohr model of carbon

OXIDES OF CARBON
Oxides of carbon are numerous here are some few Carbon monoxide (CO),Carbon dioxide (CO2)etc.Carbon (IV) oxide is one of the naturally occuring inorganic compound of carbon, carbon (IV) oxide does not support combustion.During combustion or burning, carbon from fossil fuels combine with oxygen in the air to form carbon dioxide and water vapor.
Carbon (IV) oxide is very important to green plants which makes use of it ,in the presence of water and sunlight to produce starch,the process is known as PHOTOSYNTHESIS also known as the ability of plants to produce their own food.

USES OF CARBON

• Impure carbon in the form of charcoal (from wood) and coke (from coal) is used in metal smelting
• Activated charcoal is used for purification and filtration.
• It makes up for 18% of the human body. Sugar, glucose, proteins etc are all made of it
• Carbon in its diamond form is used in jewellery.
• Oxide of carbon such as carbon (iv) oxide is used in fire extinghishers
  CARBON CYCLE
  The carbon cycle plays an important rule in life since all living things need carbon dioxide and oxygen to survive.The carbon cycle is nature's way of reusing carbon atoms, which travel from the atmosphere into organisms in the Earth and then back into the atmosphere over and over again.

The diagram above shows the carbon cycle showing the movement of carbon from the atmosphere down and back up to the atmosphere.
Carbon is really an important element to us and too much release of thses carbon can be harmful to us as well cause it deplicts the ozone layer exposing us to UV rays of the sun (ultra violent ray).