The Carbon Cycle

Students reviewed the carbon cycle as part of their science rotation classes.

• All things are made of matter.
• All matter is made up of atoms.
• Same atoms make elements, elements that are combined with other elements are named compounds.
• Water is an example of a compound because it is made up of 2 hydrogen and 1 oxygen.
• Carbon is an element. All organisms are carbon-based. And most of what living things are is carbon.
• Plants take in carbon. Dead plants and animals and animal scat become carbon. Over million of years carbon in the ground is changed to oil, coal, and gas--these are non renewable sources of energy. You can burn them once, but not again and again--there numbers are limited.
• Renewable or unlimited sources of energy include wind, solar, and geothermal power.
• Because we have burned a lot of oil, gas, and coal as well as cut down lots of forests, there's enough carbon in the air to cover the earth with a carbon gas blanket--that blanket traps Earth's heat and affects the balance in nature.
• Human behavior can influence carbon emissions in both positive and negative ways. To positively impact carbon in the atmosphere, humans can help to keep Earth balanced for good living.

All of the elements except for helium go through all three phases of matter (solid, liquid, and gas) as the temperature is varied. That is to say, at low enough temperatures, all the elements (except Helium) are solids. ... Each element boils at a different temperature, called the "boiling point". Scientists use carbon to find out how old fossils, bones, and other archeological finds are.