Carbon
. Carbon, nonmetallic chemical element, known by the symbol C, that is the fundamental building block of material in living organisms and is important to many industries. Carbon occurs in nature in nearly pure form in diamond and graphite. It is also the major component of coal, petroleum, asphalt, limestone, and most materials made by plants and animals. The name carbon is derived from the Latin word carbo, meaning charcoal, a material that is composed primarily of carbon. A carbon atom can chemically combine with atoms of other elements, as well as with other carbon atoms, to form molecules. Molecules that contain two or more elements make up compounds. Carbon can form more compounds than can any other element except hydrogen. Carbon is present in all substances known as organic compounds (see Organic Chemistry ). Originally, scientists used the term organic compounds for materials that could only be obtained from living or dead organisms. Today chemists consider nearly any compound ...