{"id":7853,"date":"2025-04-14T21:28:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T21:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jinsuncarbon.com\/?p=7853"},"modified":"2025-04-14T21:29:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T21:29:43","slug":"learn-about-carbon-atom-structure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jinsuncarbon.com\/fa\/learn-about-carbon-atom-structure\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn About Carbon Atom Structure"},"content":{"rendered":"
In the system of elements, carbon atom has a unique and important position, which is the cornerstone of life. And it not only underpins all forms of life on Earth, but also drives innovation in materials science. Delving deeper into the structure of carbon atom can provide insight into the internal logic of the origin of life and material innovation.<\/p>\n
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The atomic number of carbon is 6 and the chemical symbol is C. Because carbon occurs in nature in the form of many isotopes, so its relative atomic mass is calculated as an average based on the relative abundance of each isotope, which is about 12.01.<\/p>\n
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In nature, carbon comes in three main isotopes: carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14. Carbon-12 is the most common, accounting for about 98.93% of all carbon, which nucleus contains six protons and six neutrons. These make it a standard for defining atomic mass units. Carbon-13 makes up about 1.07% of the atomic nucleus and has six protons and seven neutrons. You can \u00a0often use it in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to help scientists study molecular structure. Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope with a nucleus consisting of six protons and eight neutrons. It has a half-life of about 5,730 years and plays a key role in archaeology. Archaeologists can be able to date artifacts by measuring how much carbon-14 decays in them.<\/p>\n
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From Dalton’s solid sphere model, to Thomson’s plum pudding model, to Rutherford’s nuclear model. As well as Bohr’s electron layered orbit model and modern quantum mechanical models, human understanding of atomic structure has been deepened. These theoretical developments laid the foundation for revealing the structure of carbon atoms. And modern quantum mechanical models suggest that electrons do not move in fixed orbits, but are distributed around the nucleus in a cloud of probability.<\/p>\n
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The nucleus of a carbon atom is composed of protons and neutrons, protons have a positive charge and neutrons are electrically neutral. Due to the presence of protons, the nucleus as a whole is positively charged. And because the number of positive charges is equal to the number of negative charges carried by the electrons outside the nucleus, the whole atom is electrically neutral.<\/p>\n
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Carbon atoms have six extranuclear electrons, which are distributed in different electron layers according to their energy levels. The first layer (K layer) holds up to two electrons. The second layer (L layer) holds up to eight electrons, and the electron arrangement of carbon atoms is 2,4. That is, the K layer has two electrons and the L layer has four electrons. These four valence electrons give the carbon atom its unique chemical properties, allowing it to form stable compounds with other atoms.<\/p>\n
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It is a hard crystal, carbon atoms through covalent bonds to build a three-dimensional tetrahedral structure, each carbon atom connects 4 adjacent atoms. This gives diamond ultra-high hardness and melting point, making it the preferred material for cutting, grinding and other industries. In addition, its bright luster also makes it a precious gem.<\/p>\n
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It has a layered structure and the carbon atoms in the layer to form a hexagonal network of covalent bonds. The combination of weak van der Waals forces between the layers makes the graphite have good electrical conductivity and lubricity. And you can often use graphite<\/a> in the manufacture of electrodes, lubricants and pencil leads.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fullerenes<\/a> are cage molecules composed of carbon atoms, and the most famous is C60, which is \u00a0shaped like a football. Carbon nanotubes consist of carbon atoms in a tubular structure with excellent mechanical, electrical and thermal conductivity properties. You can use it to make high-performance composite materials and electronic devices.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CO2 molecule consists of 1 carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and oxygen atoms are connected by double bonds, in a straight line. This structure makes carbon dioxide gaseous at room temperature and pressure. It is an important part of the Earth’s carbon cycle and the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Organic compounds are compounds containing carbon, but do not include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and carbonates. The quadruvalent properties of carbon atoms enable it to form a variety of organic compounds with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and other atoms. They form the basis of life materials such as proteins and nucleic acids.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tertiary carbon atoms connect three carbon atoms and have special reactive activity in organic chemistry. In the nucleophilic substitution reaction of halogenated hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons containing tertiary carbon atoms mostly follow the SN1 mechanism. This property is different from primary and secondary halogenated hydrocarbons, which is widely used in organic synthesis.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nFullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes<\/h4>\n
Molecular Structures of Carbon<\/h3>\n
Molecular Structure of Carbon Dioxide<\/h4>\n
Organic Compounds<\/h4>\n
Special Concepts in Carbon Structures<\/h2>\n
Tertiary Carbon Atoms<\/h3>\n
Atomic Structure of Carbon Fibers<\/h3>\n