Element 6
Carbon (C)
Carbon (C) is element 6 of the periodic table, a reactive nonmetal in period 2, group 14 (p-block) with an atomic mass of 12.011 and is a solid at standard conditions.
At a glance
- Atomic number
- 6
- Symbol
- C
- Atomic mass
- 12.011 u
- Category
- Reactive nonmetals
- Period
- 2
- Group
- 14
- Block
- p-block
- Phase at STP
- solid
Electron structure
- Electron configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p2
- Shorthand configuration
- [He] 2s2 2p2
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 4
- Oxidation states
- -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4
Physical properties
- Melting point
- 3823 K
- Boiling point
- 4098 K
- Density
- 2.267 g/cm3
- Phase
- solid
Atomic properties
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 2.55
- Atomic radius
- 67 pm
- Covalent radius
- 76 pm
- Van der Waals radius
- 170 pm
- First ionization energy
- 1087 kJ/mol
- Electron affinity
- 122 kJ/mol
Notable isotopes
| Isotope | Mass | Abundance | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-12 | 12 | 98.93% | Stable |
| C-13 | 13.00335 | 1.07% | Stable |
Common uses
- Steel production
- Fuels
- Plastics
- Diamonds
- Carbon fiber
Discovery
- Discovered by
- Known since antiquity
- Country
- Unknown