C
Carbon Symbol (C)
Carbon is element 6 of the periodic table. Copy its symbol C and see its atomic weight, electron configuration and common compounds.
What does C mean?
C is the chemical symbol for carbon, element number 6 in the periodic table. Carbon is a reactive nonmetal in group 14, period 2. It is the basis of organic chemistry and all known life; it occurs as graphite, diamond and graphene.
Codes and properties
| Chemical symbol | C |
|---|---|
| Atomic number (Z) | 6 |
| Standard atomic weight | 12.011 |
| Group / period | 14 / 2 |
| Element category | reactive nonmetal |
| Electron configuration | 1s² 2s² 2p² |
| Common compounds | CO₂, CH₄, C₆H₁₂O₆, CO |
How to type C
- Plain text: type
C— element symbols are ordinary Latin letters, with the first letter capitalised. - Subscripts in formulas: use Unicode subscript digits (₀₁₂₃₄₅₆₇₈₉) for formulas such as CO₂ — copy them from the chemistry keyboard.
- LaTeX: write
\mathrm{C}in math mode, or use the mhchem package:\ce{C}. - HTML:
C; for subscripts use<sub>, e.g.H<sub>2</sub>O.
Frequently asked questions
What is the chemical symbol for carbon?
The chemical symbol for carbon is C.
What is the atomic number of carbon?
Carbon has atomic number 6, meaning each atom has 6 protons.
What is the electron configuration of carbon?
The ground-state electron configuration of carbon is 1s² 2s² 2p².