Question: were do we put all the carbon?

Rosie Cane answered on 15 Jun 2017:

Carbon is all over the place! It is actually what we call one of the ‘building blocks of life’ for life here on Earth. All life that we know of is based around carbon, so one place to find carbon is you, your dog, your family, your neighbours – any kind of life!

It is also found in coal, oil and gas. These are called ‘fossil fuels’ and were formed from the remains of living creatures millions of years ago.

Carbon is also found in the atmosphere where carbon dioxide gas is emitted when fossil fuels are burned and is released when living organisms breathe.

Another strange place is that carbon is found in the ocean! It is found in rocks on the ocean floor, formed from the hard shells and body parts of marine creatures. These sink to the bottom of the ocean, and the hard parts break down into sediment, which later are formed into sedimentary rocks.

Carbon can also be used for fun things. Dazzling diamonds are one form of carbon, and so is the graphite in the pencils you use for all of your imaginative drawings!