Question

Inspite of very small amount of carbon being present in nature, why is it immensely important?

Answer 1

Carbon is very important for us. It is mainly used in:
Carbon can exist in the form of an element or a compound. Carbon is found in
(a) All living cells including animal and plant cells
(b) Fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas and coal
(c) Mineral substances such as carbonates, cyanides and carbon dioxide gas
Carbon exists in its natural state as graphite and diamonds.
(a) Graphite is made up of many layers of carbon atoms that are bonded together . Hence, carbon layers are able to slide easily over each other. This characteristic causes carbon to be soft, making it suitable for use as a lubricating substance.
(b) Diamonds have a strong structure. The carbon atoms in it are bonded by strong covalent bonds. This makes it very hard and it is therefore suitable to be used as drilling bits.