Carbon is present in each of the Earth’s spheres and in all known life forms. On Earth, carbon is a fundamental building block of life. The places and forms in which we find carbon are called reservoirs.
Carbon combined with oxygen is carbon dioxide (CO2) which is found: | |
...in the atmosphere | |
...dissolved in all bodies of water |
Carbon combined with hydrogen creates a hydrocarbon, a historically important source of energy as fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are found in our environment: | |
...as coal | |
...as oil | |
...as natural gas |
Carbon forms minerals and is found in the earth: | |
...as carbonate rock | |
...as diamonds |