süsinikuaatomis

süsinikuaatomis is the Estonian word for a carbon atom. A carbon atom is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. Carbon is a nonmetal and belongs to the group 14 of the periodic table. It is tetravalent, meaning it has four valence electrons and can form four covalent bonds with other atoms. This ability to form stable bonds with itself and a wide variety of other elements is fundamental to organic chemistry, the study of carbon-containing compounds.

Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe by mass, after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. It is essential to all known life on Earth, forming the backbone of organic molecules like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Its unique bonding properties allow for the formation of long chains, branched structures, and rings, creating the vast diversity of organic compounds.

The most common isotope of carbon is carbon-12, which has 6 protons and 6 neutrons. Other isotopes include carbon-13, which is stable, and carbon-14, which is radioactive and used in radiocarbon dating. Carbon exists in various allotropes, including diamond, graphite, graphene, and fullerenes, each with distinct physical and chemical properties due to the different arrangements of its atoms.