Application Notes

Carbon and Sulfur

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.
Sulfur, symbol S, tasteless, odorless, light yellow nonmetallic element. Sulfur is in group 16 (or VIa) of the periodic table (see Periodic Law). Its atomic number is 16, and its atomic weight is 32.064.

 

Oxygen, Nitrogen and Hydrogen

Oxygen, symbol O, colorless, odorless, tasteless, slightly magnetic gaseous element. On earth, oxygen is more abundant than any other element. Oxygen was discovered in 1774 by the British chemist Joseph Priestley and, independently, by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele; it was shown to be an elemental gas by the French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier in his classic experiments on combustion.
Nitrogen, symbol N, gaseous element that makes up the largest portion of the earth's atmosphere. The atomic number of nitrogen is 7. Nitrogen is in group 15 (or Va) of the periodic table (see Periodic Law).
Hydrogen, chemical element that exists as a gas at room temperature. Hydrogen gas is odorless, tasteless, colorless, and highly flammable. When hydrogen gas burns in air, it forms water. French chemist Antoine Lavoisier named hydrogen from the Greek words for "water former."