What Are Fuels?

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Most fuels are hydrocarbons, that is, chemical compounds made up only of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are part of the larger family of organic compounds. Any compound that contains a carbon atom is referred to as an organic compound. The reason is that carbon compounds were first identified in plants and animals, and "organic" means "related to living things." Organic compounds are plentiful. More than 90 percent of all known compounds contain carbon.

Find carbon in the periodic table. Carbon is found in column 4A of the table, grouped with the other elements that have four electrons in their outer energy shell. Since atoms form chemical bonds by sharing their outer-shell electrons, a carbon atom can bond with up to four other atoms at the same time.

Figure 1. In the periodic table of elements, the atomic symbol for carbon is C. Carbon's atomic number is 6, and its atomic weight is 12.011.

Figure 1
Carbon
In the periodic table of elements, the atomic symbol for carbon is C. Carbon's atomic number is 6, and its atomic weight is 12.011.

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