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carbon: Quick Facts

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Ultrathin solid-state battery uses tin and carbon to reduce lithium loss • Nov. 3, 2026, 3:20 PM ET (Tech Xplore)

Facts

Also Known As C

Photos and Videos

A labeled diagram of the periodic table entry for carbon, showing its atomic number 6, symbol C, electron configuration, atomic weight range, solid physical state, hexagonal crystal structure, and weakly acidic oxide properties. Color coding and icons indicate it is a nonmetal, solid at room temperature, with hexagonal structure and weak acidity.
bituminous coal
fullerene
kimberlite
Hope diamond
Diagram of the carbon cycle showing how carbon moves between the atmosphere, biosphere, land, and ocean. Arrows connect processes like combustion, plant and animal respiration, decomposition, fossil fuel formation, and ocean absorption, with labeled pathways for carbon flow.
Line graph showing the Keeling Curve, which tracks atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels at Mauna Loa from 1965 to 2025. The graph shows a steady upward trend from about 320 to over 420 parts per million, with seasonal fluctuations. An inset highlights the annual cycle of CO2, demonstrating both the short-term oscillations and the long-term increase.
Iron-carbon equilibrium diagram.
A scientific graph plots average nuclear binding energy per nucleon (in MeV) against atomic mass number, showing a sharp rise at low mass numbers, peaking near iron (Fe), then gradually declining for heavier elements. Key isotopes are labeled along the curve.
Figure 1: A schematic representation of the biogeochemical cycle of carbon.
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Topics
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Key People

August Kekule von Stradonitz
August Kekule von Stradonitz
German chemist
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Sir Harold W. Kroto
British chemist
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Robert Curl
American chemist
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John Ulric Nef
American chemist
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Archibald Scott Couper
Scottish chemist
Barkla, Charles Glover
Charles Glover Barkla
British physicist

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