science facts

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• Fossil fuels such as methane gas and crude oil (petrol) play a large role in modern economies.
  
• Plastics are made from carbon polymers. Carbon is used to form alloys with iron such as carbon steel.
  

 

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• Graphite and clay are combined to make the lead used in pencils.
  
• Charcoal is commonly used for grilling food on barbeques.

 

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Diamond Facts:

• Diamond is an allotrope (different form) of carbon.
  
• The word diamond comes from the Greek word meaning unbreakable.
  

 

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• The carbon atoms in diamonds are arranged in a strong, tetrahedral structure.
  
• Diamond is the hardest natural material known and is often used for industrial cutting and polishing tools.
  

 

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• Diamond has a hardness of 10 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness, with 1 being the softest (talc) and 10 being the hardest.
  
• Diamond is the best known thermal conductor (heat transfer) among naturally occurring substances.
  

 

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• Under the normal pressures and temperatures we experience on the Earth’s surface, diamonds are actually thermodynamically unstable, slowly transforming into graphite. Yes, you read that correctly, diamonds are indeed turning into graphite, but thankfully for all those diamond owners out there it’s a process that is far too slow for humans to notice.
  
• Most of the Earth’s natural diamond deposits are found in Africa.
  

 

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• Around 26,000 kilograms (57,000 lb) of diamonds are mined around the world every year. They are worth billions of dollars to the powerful companies that control their production.
  
• Diamonds have often been a source of conflict and controversy, the term blood diamond refers to a diamond mined in an unstable area and sold to finance war. This issue was brought to public attention in the 2006 movie named Blood Diamond (starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly).
  

 

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• Diamond is the world’s most popular and sought after gemstone. They are frequently worn as part of jewelry such as rings and necklaces. As well as their rarity, they are also well suited to jewelry because they polish well and can only be scratched by other diamonds.
  
• Diamonds are cut with considerable precision to optimize the luster and attention gathering shine of each specific diamond.
  

 

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• Diamonds are valued according to their cut, color, carat and clarity.
  
• Over the years there have been many famous (and very expensive) diamonds. The following are four well known examples:
  

 

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• The Koh-i-Noor diamond was found in India and once thought of as the largest diamond in the world. It is now part of the British Crown Jewels in the Tower of London.
  
• The 45.52 carat Hope Diamond appears blue because of boron in its crystal structure and is famous for supposedly being cursed.
  

 

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• Discovered in the Kimberley Mine in South Africa, the Tiffany Yellow Diamond weighed an amazing 287.42 carats (57.484 g) when discovered. It was later sold to a New York jeweler named Charles Tiffany who had it cut into a cushion shape of 128.54 carats (25.708 g) with 90 facets to show off its beauty.
  
• After being originally found by a slave in an Indian mine, the now 140.64 carat (28.1 g) Regent Diamond has been through an epic history including an English sea merchant and French royalty. It is now on display at the Louvre, where it has been on display since 1887.
  

 

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• Naturally occurring diamonds are formed over billions of years under intense pressure and heat. They are often brought to the Earth’s surface by deep volcanic eruptions.
  
• The technology for synthetic diamonds was researched in the 1940’s and the first synthetically created diamond was produced in the 1950’s.
  

 

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• There are a number of techniques for producing synthetic diamonds, these include high-pressure high-temperature synthesis, chemical vapor deposition and detonation synthesis (literally blowing up carbon with explosives to create extremely small diamond grains).
  
• The synthesized material known as cubic zirconia is a crystalline form of zirconium dioxide (ZrO[SUB]2[/SUB]). It is at times in competition with diamond because as well as being hard, optically flawless and colorless, it is also durable and cheap.

 

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Coal Facts:

• Coal is made largely of carbon but also features other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen.
  
• Coal starts off as plant matter at the bottom of water. It is eventually covered and deeply buried by sediments where over time metamorphosis (a change in form) takes place.
  

 

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• Different types of coal contain different amounts of carbon. Lignite contains only around 60 to 75%, while anthracite contains more than 92%.
  
• Anthracite is a hard, shiny, black coal that burns with a blue, smokeless flame. While most forms of coal are associated with sedimentary rock, anthracite undergoes metamorphism and is linked to metamorphic rocks.
  

 

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• Coal has long been burned to create electricity and heat. The use of coal is increasing every year, in 2006 the world consumed over 6,000,000,000,000 kilograms of coal!
  
• Coal is the world’s largest source of energy for the production of electricity.
  

 

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• Coal is converted to electricity by being burned in a furnace with a boiler. The boiler water is heated until it becomes steam, with the steam then spinning turbines and generators to create the electricity.
  
• Nearly 70% of China’s electricity comes from coal. In total, coal produces around 40% of the world’s electricity.
  

 

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• Coal mining and the subsequent burning of coal can have many bad effects on both humans and the environment. Examples of this include waste products, acid rain, contaminated water, poisonous emissions, high levels of carbon dioxide and increased risks of lung cancer for coal plant workers.
  
• A popular saying among many cultures is that if you behave badly during the year, Santa will deliver you a lump of coal for Christmas.
  

 

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Oil Facts :

• Oil is a liquid at room temperature.
  
• Under normal circumstances, oil does not mix with water.
  

 

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• A substance that allows oil and water to mix is called an emulsifier, a good example of this is detergent. Check out our oil and water mixing experiment for more.
  
• Vegetable oils are made from plants, examples include sunflower oil, coconut oil, corn oil, peanut oil and palm oil.
  

 

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• Some oils are used in cooking, such as olive oil.
  
• Crude oil (petroleum) is a thick, black liquid found underground.
  

 

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• Crude oil comes from fossilized organic material such as plants and animals.
  
• Oil has a wide variety of uses and is often used in cosmetics, medicine, paint, lubricants and as a fuel.
  

 

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• Crude oil is converted at oil refineries into a range of different fuels including gasoline (petrol), diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and more.
  
• Fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel are used to help power engines in machines and vehicles such as cars, trucks and airplanes.
  

 

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Artificially made synthetic oils are used in certain situations where their unique properties are advantageous, for example synthetic oils respond better to extreme temperatures and are used as lubricants in the jet engines of aircraft.

 

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Plant Facts:

• Tree resin which has been fossilized is known as amber, it sometimes contains plant material or small animals that were trapped inside.
  
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• Some plants are carnivores, gaining nutrients by eating various small insects and spiders. A well known example of a carnivorous plant is the Venus Flytrap.
  
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