Carbide-derived carbon

Carbide-derived carbon is a material made by heating up a special kind of rock called carbide. Think of carbide like a yummy chocolate chip cookie - it's made up of different ingredients, like flour, sugar, and chocolate chips. In the same way, carbide is made up of different chemical elements, like carbon and other metals.

When you heat up carbide, the different elements start to separate, like when you melt chocolate chips in the oven. This leaves behind a material that's mostly made of carbon. Carbon is a very important element because it's found in many things we use every day, like pencils and even the air we breathe out.

The cool thing about carbide-derived carbon is that it has a lot of tiny holes in it. Think of it like a sponge with lots of little holes. These holes make it a great material for storing things, like gases, liquids, or even electricity.

Scientists are still trying to figure out all of the cool things that carbide-derived carbon can do, but it has the potential to be used in lots of different things, like batteries or air filters. So, next time you eat a chocolate chip cookie, remember that science can help make amazing materials like carbide-derived carbon!