Valency of Carbon?
VerifiedAnswer: 4
Explanation:
Carbon has a valency of 4, which means it can form four chemical bonds with other atoms. This is one of the most important concepts in chemistry and explains why carbon is so versatile in forming different compounds.
To understand why carbon has a valency of 4, let's look at its electronic configuration. Carbon has an atomic number of 6, which means it has 6 electrons. These electrons are arranged as 2 electrons in the first shell and 4 electrons in the second shell (outermost shell). Since the outermost shell can hold a maximum of 8 electrons, carbon needs 4 more electrons to complete its octet and achieve stability.
Instead of gaining or losing electrons, carbon prefers to share electrons with other atoms through covalent bonding. This sharing allows carbon to complete its octet while maintaining electrical neutrality. Since carbon has 4 valence electrons and needs 4 more to complete its outer shell, it can form 4 covalent bonds with other atoms.
Here are some common examples that demonstrate carbon's valency of 4:
• Methane (CH₄): Carbon forms 4 single bonds with 4 hydrogen atoms • Carbon dioxide (CO₂): Carbon forms 2 double bonds with 2 oxygen atoms (total of 4 bonds) • Ethene (C₂H₄): Each carbon atom forms 4 bonds - one double bond with another carbon and two single bonds with hydrogen atoms
The valency of 4 makes carbon incredibly versatile and is the reason why carbon can form such a vast variety of compounds. It can form single, double, or even triple bonds while maintaining its total valency of 4. This property makes carbon the backbone of all organic compounds and explains why carbon chemistry is so rich and diverse in nature.
