| MadSci Network: Science History |
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Carbon has been known since ancient times, as soot, charcoal and coal. Diamond
has also been known since ancient times. It was recognized to be a chemical
element, as we understand the term, as soon as the modern understanding of the
term evolved (1780-1810).
They were not known as the same element until Humphrey Davy (who was rather wealthy and could afford to destroy diamonds) showed, first, that heating a diamond in the presence of oxygen produced only carbon dioxide, and then that heating a diamond in the absence of air caused it to change into graphite. This was around 1830. For more, see WebElements or find a good history of chemistry in your library.
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Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Science History.