Carbon is a non-metal

Learning outcome

You can classify carbon as a non-metal, and you can name two forms of that same element.

Concepts and why

Carbon is a non-metal. It is not a metal. Diamond and graphite are forms of carbon. They are the same element in different arrangements. A hard diamond and a soft dark graphite can still both be carbon. The look does not move carbon into the metals.

Worked examples

A question asks whether carbon is a metal or a non-metal. The answer is a non-metal. A question asks what diamond and graphite are. They are forms of carbon.

Common mistakes

Calling carbon a metal because diamond is hard. Treating diamond and graphite as two different elements.

Practice questions

1. Is carbon a metal or a non-metal?
2. Name two forms of carbon.
3. Do diamond and graphite stop being carbon because they look different?

Answers and explanations

1. A non-metal.
2. Diamond and graphite.
3. No. They are the same element in different forms.

Analogy

The same clay can be fired into a hard tile or pressed into a soft stick. The clay did not become a new substance. Carbon is that clay. Diamond and graphite are two shapes of it.

Quick reference

Carbon: non-metal. Diamond and graphite: forms of carbon. Hardness does not make carbon a metal.