What is carbon?
*Carbon is a
chemical element.
*Its symbol
is a C and its atomic number is 6.
*It is a
member of the group 14 in the periodic table.
*Group 14 is
also called the Carbon Group consisting of Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), Tin,
(Sn), Lead (Pb) and Flerovium (Fl).
Carbon
and its cycle
*The carbon
cycle is the biogeochemical cycle in which carbon is exchanged among the
biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere of the Earth.
*The carbon
cycle comprises a sequence of events that are key to making the Earth capable
of sustaining life, such as the nitrogen cycle and the water cycle.
*It shows us
the movement of carbon as it is recycled and reused throughout the biosphere.
The
Global Carbon
Budget
*It is the
balance of exchanges of carbon between the carbon reservoirs or between one
specific loop of the carbon cycle.
*It can
provide information about whether the reservoir is functioning as a source or
sink for carbon dioxide.
Who created the carbon cycle?
The carbon
cycle was initially discovered by Joseph Priestley and Antoine Lavoiser, and
popularized by Humphry Davy.
Carbon cycle steps
Carbon is normally being exchanged among the
atmosphere , land water and living things. It is constantly on the move. This
is how it works:
1. CARBON IS
REMOVED FROM THE ATMOSPHERE:
Plants are
constantly removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of
photosynthesis. Certain bacteria use carbon dioxide to synthesize the organic
compounds they need.
2. ENTRY OF
CARBON FROM PLANTS INTO THE ANIMAL WORK:
Carnivorous
animals receive food made by green plants which have carbon.
3. ENTRY OF
CARBON FROM ATMOSPHERE INTO THE WATER BODIES:
Carbon
dioxide is continuously being dissolved in the seas and oceans through the a
process called diffusion. Once dissolved, this CO2 remains as it is in the
marine water or may be converted into carbonates and bicarbonates.
Photosynthesis is made by the marine plants when CO2 dissolves. Carbonates are converted into
calcium carbonate by some marine organisms, it is used by corals and oysters to
make their shells, and when these organisms die, their shells deposit on the sea floor and turn into
sedimentary rocks.
4. CARBON
MOVES FROM LIVING THINGS TO THE LAND:
As
animals and plants die, they get buried
under the ground, after millions of years, they become fossil fuels due to
thigh pressure and other physical and
chemical changes.
5. CARBON
RETURNS TO THE ATMOSPHERE:
CO2 is
regularly being returned to the atmosphere by the process of respiration in
plants and animals. Other examples of carbon dioxide: burning of wood, fossil
fuels in industries and automobiles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_14
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetravalence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_cycle
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/the-carbon-cycle-steps.html
