Carbon is a very interesting element. In more ways than one. It is particularly important to Northeastern Pennsylvania. In fact, a nearby county is named Carbon County, probably because carbon particles called amorphous carbon is used to produce what we know as coal. The word `carbon' comes from the latin word for charcoal (coal), carbo. It is often called "The King of Elements." Another fact that sets the element apart from others is it can form more compounds than any other element except hydrogen. Carbon is also the foundation of material in all living organisms. Although stunningly only 0.03% of our atmosphere contains carbon. Amazingly, 96.2% of Mars' atmosphere is CO2.

I must admit it was difficult for me to organize the information on this element because there is so much information and facts out there, probably because carbon is one of the most popular and recognized elements. In fact...