how many covalent bonds will an atom of carbon form with other atoms?
How many covalent bonds will an atom of carbon form with other atoms?
Answer: An atom of carbon will typically form four covalent bonds with other atoms. This is because carbon has four electrons in its outer shell and needs a total of eight electrons to achieve a full valence shell—a stable electron configuration often referred to as the octet rule.
To understand this better, let’s break it down:
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Electron Configuration: Carbon has an atomic number of 6, meaning it has 6 electrons. The first two electrons fill the inner shell, and the remaining four are in the outer shell.
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Octet Rule: Atoms are more stable when their outer electron shell is full. For most elements, this means having eight electrons in the outer shell. Carbon, with its four outer electrons, needs four more electrons to complete its octet.
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Covalent Bonds: To complete its octet, carbon shares its four valence electrons with other atoms through covalent bonds. Each shared pair of electrons constitutes one covalent bond.
- For example, in a methane molecule (CH₄), carbon forms four single covalent bonds with four hydrogen atoms.
Summary: Carbon forms four covalent bonds to fill its outer shell and achieve stability. This unique ability allows carbon to form diverse organic compounds.