Tetravalency Of Carbon

Tetravalency Of Carbon

The atomic number of carbon is 6 and its ground state electronic configuration is …… Since it has four electrons in its outermost shell, its valency is four. To achieve noble gas configuration, carbon atom cannot lose or gain four electrons to form C⁴⁺ and C^4– ions because of the large amount of energy required for these processes (ionization energy and electron affinity). Thus, it has a very little tendency to form ionic compounds. Therefore, carbon achieves the noble gas configuration only by sharing electrons with other and it form covalent bonds.

Thus a carbon atom forms four covalent bonds in its compounds. For example, a molecule of methane (CH₄) is formed when four electrons of carbon are shared with four hydrogen atoms as show below:

Ina similar manner carbon can complete its octet by sharing its valence electrons with the electrons of other atoms as well. This characteristic of carbon atom by virtue of which is forms four covalent bonds is generally referred to as tetracovalency of carbon.