Carbon: Introduction

Carbon is a versatile element, crucial in organic chemistry, forming various molecules due to its ability to create up to four covalent bonds. It exists in different forms called allotropes, including graphite, diamond, and amorphous carbon. Graphite is soft and conducts electricity due to delocalised electrons, while diamond is hard and non-conductive due to its lattice structure. Amorphous carbon lacks a consistent structure, found in materials like coal and charcoal. The structure of carbon's covalent bonds significantly influences the properties of these materials.

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