Question

use your carbon compounds: part 1 notes and the information provided below to complete this worksheet. be sure to read the information below before you begin carbon: the most important (and abundant) element in living things carbon. element number six. right in the middle of the first row of the periodic table. so what? carbon is the most important element to life. without this element, life as we know it would not exist. as you will see, carbon is the main element in compounds necessary for life. the importance of carbon a compound found mainly in living things is known as an organic compound. organic compounds contain carbon and make up the cells and other structures of organisms, and carry out life processes. carbon is the main element in organic compounds, so carbon is important to life on earth. without carbon, life as, we know it, could not exist. compounds a compound is a substance that consists of two or more elements. a compound has a unique composition that is always the same. the smallest particle of a compound is called a molecule. consider water as an example. a molecule of water always contains one atom of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen. the composition of water is expressed by the chemical formula h₂o. a model of a water molecule is shown in figure below. water is not an organic compound. carbon why is carbon so important to life? the reason is carbon’s ability to form steady bonds with many elements, including itself. this allows carbon to form a many very large and complex molecules. in fact, there are nearly 10 million carbon - based compounds in living things! however, the millions of organic compounds can be grouped into just four major types: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. you can compare the four types in table below. each type is also described below. what is the most abundant (common) element found in living things? 2. which six elements are living organisms mostly made from? (hint: chnops) 3. what is a compound? give an example of a compound (look at the picture). 4. how many bonds can carbon form with other atoms? 5. how are monomers related to polymers?

Explanation:

1. The most abundant element in living things is carbon as stated in the text.
2. The six elements living organisms are mostly made from are Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O), Phosphorus (P), and Sulfur (S) - CHNOPS.
3. A compound is a substance consisting of two or more elements with a unique composition. Water ($H_2O$) is an example.
4. Carbon can form 4 bonds with other atoms due to its valence - shell electron configuration.
5. Monomers are the building blocks of polymers. Polymers are made up of repeating monomer units.

Answer:

1. Carbon
2. Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O), Phosphorus (P), Sulfur (S)
3. A substance consisting of two or more elements with a unique composition. Example: Water ($H_2O$)
4. 4
5. Monomers are the building - blocks of polymers; polymers are made of repeating monomer units.