Carbon and its compounds

Carbon is one of the most important non-metallic element. Antoine Lavoisier named Carbon from the Latin word ‘Carbo’ meaning coal. This is because carbon is the main constituent of coal. Coal is a fossil fuel developed from prolonged decomposition of buried plants and animals. So, it is clear that all the life forms contain carbon. The earth’s crust contains only 0.032% of carbon (i.e.320 parts per million by weight) in the form of minerals like carbonates, coal and petroleum and the atmosphere has only 0.03% of carbon dioxide (i.e.300 parts per million by weight). Even though available in small amount in nature, carbon compounds have an immense importance in everyday life.