Atomic Number: 6 Atomic Mass: 12.011

Carbon can be seen as graphite, diamond, fullerenes and graphene. As a diamond carbon is a colourless, transparent, crystalline and the hardest known material.

As graphite carbon is seen as black and shiny, but soft. As fullerenes and graphene carbon is seen as black or dark brown, a soot like powder.

Carbon can form strong bonded chains, sealed off by hydrogen atoms.

Hydrocarbons are naturally fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas.

Uses: tennis rackets, pencils, fishing rods, rockets and aeroplanes