Carbon (C) — Element 6: Properties & Data
Carbon (C) is a nonmetal with atomic number 6 and atomic mass 12.011. It has melting point 3823 K (3550 °C), boiling point 4098 K (3825 °C), density 2.267 g/cm³. It sits in group 14 and period 2 of the periodic table and has been known since antiquity.
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Key facts
| Atomic mass | 12.011 u |
|---|---|
| Electron configuration | [He]2s2 2p2 |
| Oxidation states | +4, +2, -4 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.55 |
| Atomic radius (van der Waals) | 170 pm |
| Ionization energy | 11.26 eV |
| Electron affinity | 1.263 eV |
| Melting point | 3823 K |
| Boiling point | 4098 K |
| Density | 2.267 g/cm³ |
| Standard state | Solid |
| Discovered | Ancient |
Domande frequenti
What is the electron configuration of carbon?
The ground-state electron configuration of carbon is [He]2s2 2p2.
What group and period is carbon in?
Carbon (C) is in group 14 and period 2 of the periodic table, classified as a nonmetal.
What is the melting point of carbon?
Carbon melts at 3823 K (3550 °C).
What is the standard state of carbon?
Carbon is a solid at standard temperature and pressure.
Related elements
Informazioni su questi dati: property values compiled from IUPAC Standard Atomic Weights (2021), the NIST Atomic Spectra Database, and PubChem. Curated by the Aladdin Scientific technical team. Last reviewed: .