Beginning of Essay
Carbon is one of the most important chemical elements. Industry uses it in a wide variety of products, and all living things are based on carbon. Without carbon, life would be impossible! Yet carbon makes up less than 0.03 percent of the earth's crust. Pure c ....

Middle of Essay
.... fuel and ivory black, made by heating ivory, is used as a pigment in paint. Most carbon occurs in combination with other elements. For example, the carbon dioxide in the air is a compound of carbon and oxygen. Other compounds containing carbon include minerals such as limestone, and fuels such as coal and petroleum. Carbon compounds make up the living tissues of all animals and plants. There are over one million known carbon compounds (still growing rapidly every year), which is over the sum total of all the other elements combined. The largest group of these compounds are the ones composed of carbon and hydrogen. Carbon also forms anot ....