Carbon Cycle

• Carbon


  A non-metal element of the periodic table, an atom that consists of six protons, six neutrons within the nucleus, and six electrons around the outside, with the atomic symbol C
• Carbon


  • It is a black solid at room temperature
  • It is found in many different compounds, e.g. CO2 (carbon dioxide), C6H12O6 (glucose), CH4 (methane), C2H6
• Photosynthesis


  Carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen
• Respiration


  Glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
• Animals eat plants


  Taking in carbon compounds like glucose or starch
• Decay


  Microorganisms break down dead plants and animals, respiring and releasing carbon dioxide
• Combustion


  Fossil fuels (e.g. methane) burn with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water
• The carbon cycle describes how carbon is moved around the planet through different processes
• Carbon can be locked up in fossil fuels for millions of years, then released when the fuels are burned
• The carbon atoms in a cow can end up being part of a plant, and then be eaten by a person