0
Carbon is NOT the most important element, and only a carbon-based life form might describe it that way. Oh, wait, WE are carbon-based life forms! So perhaps it is important after all.
The key is that the carbon atom can form four molecular bonds with other atoms, more than any other element. Silicon is also capable of four bonds, but the strength of the bonds are much lower than for carbon. So no other element can form more types of electron bonds than carbon.
We live on the Earth, and every form of life we know about is based on carbon. It's possible that there are life-forms with some other chemistry, but we've never discovered any. Of course, we've never been to any other planet, and our robot probes aren't really designed to detect other kinds of life - but here we are. Life is carbon.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThe distinctive features of carbon as an element is that it has a valence of four, meaning that it tends to form four chemical bonds (for example, in the compound methane, carbon is bonded to four hydrogen atoms) but the bonds are not as strong as those formed by silicon, which is also an element with a valence of four; as a result, carbon forms the ideal basis for a complex and active form of chemistry known as organic chemistry, which is the basis of all life on Earth, and we suspect, on any other planet. As they used to say on the original Star Trek TV series, human beings are a carbon based life form.
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoI would dispute carbon's "uniqueness"; every element is different, but all are useful.
Carbon is the basis of "life as we know it", but that could well be an accident; silicon or another element might have served as well. It's possible that we will find life elsewhere that evolved on the basis of other elements.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agobacuse of its unique ability to combine in many ways with its self and other elements,carbon has a central role in the chemistry of living organisms
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
How are the elements carbon nitrogen and oxygen produced in stars like the sun?
These fusion (carbon , nitrogen , and oxygen) reactions form nuclei of sightly heavier elements.
Which of the following layers of Earth is unique among the terrestrial planets?
Hydrosphere.
What elements are in the star Aldebaran?
Hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, and calcium.
What continues to give the sun its heat andenergy and light?
Its very own fuel: made up of hydrogen, carbon, and a few other elements. Stars were given 4 basic elements hydrogen carbon something something look it up. They used these to make new elements: all the elements on the periodic table. You are made up of elements created by stars long ago.
What is unique about ganymede?
Ganymede is unique among solar system moons in that it possesses a significant magnetosphere. This is possibly due to convection within its liquid core.
Are oxygen or carbon metallic?
No, oxygen and carbon are, among many others, nonmetallic elements.
What element forms the backbone of most polymers?
None. All elements are unique.
What are the exact substances of diamonds?
carbon, plus trace elements that can give a diamond unique colour
Is carbon such a unique element?
carbon compounds form the basis of all living organisms. carbon is an unique element as it is found in free form in nature. carbon with its valency 4, it can easily combine with other elements and to carbon itself. it is an essential component of all organic materials.
What is unique about the element carbon?
The element carbon is unique because it has four valence electrons, allowing it to form four bonds with other molecules. It also is unique in the sense that it can bond with other carbons, something most other elements cannot do.
Where is carbon group located on the periodic table?
Carbon group is 14th group of periodic table and among representative elements it is 4 A group.
Why can't potassium be extracted from carbon?
Both carbon and potassium are elements, made up of nothing but their own unique atoms. In other words, since carbon is made only of carbon, no other substance can be extracted from it.
What elements are unique to china?
No elements are unique to China
What elements is most electonegative phosphorus carbon chlorine boron iodine?
Chlorine is a group 17 element and has the highest electronegativity among the elements given.
Is carbon unusual among the elements in that it forms very few compounds with other elements?
No. It is exactly the opposite. Carbon forms many varied molecules, especially organic compounds with oxygen and hydrogen. The noble gases are the elements that form few compounds.
Does leather contain carbon and oxygen?
Yes. Leather, made from cow skin contain proteins such as keratin. These proteins contain the elements carbon and oxygen among others.
What are carbon like elements?
The elements in the same family (group) as carbon would be the most carbon-like elements.
