Carbon (C) is the 12th element in the periodic table. Carbon is one of the most versatile elements and combines itself with many other elements to form a huge variety of organic compounds including hydrocarbons and their derivitives.
Hydrocarbons are organic molecules consisting of carbon and hydrogen, but the term is often applied to derivatives of hydrocarbons consisting of oxygen, halogens, etc. Hydrocarbons can occur from both natural and anthropogenic emissions.
Definition source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
