However, this definition was later considered as erroneous as there are substances that can be produced by both living and inanimate things. Organic compounds are initially defined as those substances produced only by living organisms. Allotropes though are not compounds but pure elements. Graphite is a good electrical conductor whereas diamond is not. Graphite is soft whereas diamond is regarded as the hardest naturally-occurring substance. For instance, graphite is opaque whereas diamond is transparent. Although they are made up of only one type of element, which is carbon, they differ in physical properties. For instance, coal, graphite, and diamonds are allotropes of carbon.
The allotropes though could differ in terms of structure. It is a positron-emitting radioisotope of carbon with a half-life of 20.3 minutes that is used in positron-emitting tomography.Īn allotrope of an element pertains to any of the multiple substances formed by only one type of element. Carbon-11 is a synthetic isotope it is cyclotron-produced. This naturally-occurring isotope from cosmic ray bombardment may be used to date relics containing natural carbonaceous materials. It is widely used as a tracer in studying various aspects of metabolism. Carbon-14 is a beta emitter with a half-life of about 5,715 years. The process occurs when the unstable atomic nucleus of the radioisotope loses energy by emitting radiation. A radioisotope decays into other elements by a process called radioactive decay. Carbon-12 and Carbon-13 are stable isotopes.
Carbon isotopes that occur naturally include Carbon-12, Carbon-13, and Carbon-14.
Nevertheless, they display almost identical chemical properties. Therefore, they differ in atomic mass number. They have the same number of protons but differ in the number of neutrons in their nuclei. Isotopes refer to any of the two or more forms of the same element. Carbon-containing compounds may be classified as organic or inorganic. It may also interact with atoms or groups of atoms of different elements to form compounds. Carbon may interact with other carbon atoms and form allotropes. It has three naturally-occurring isotopes: Carbon-12, Carbon-13, and Carbon-14. Carbon is one of the most abundant elements on Earth.
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