Chapter 2, Problem 10A

Summary Introduction

To analyze:

The characteristics of a carbon atom.

Introduction:

An element is a pure substance of one type of atom, or it is a species of an atom having the same the number of protons in its atomic nucleus. For example, there are 118 known elements in periodic the table.

A compound is the combination of two or more different elements, whether it is same or different. A covalent bond is formed when same or different elements share electrons. For example, water ($H_{2}O$) in which two hydrogen atoms are joined with one oxygen atom or share electrons.

A molecule is the combination of two or more same types of elements.

For example,$H_2$ is the combination of two hydrogen atoms.

Octet rule: It is a rule which is followed when compound formation occurs. According to this rule, atoms of main-group elements tend to combine in such a way that each atom has eight electrons in its valence shell, giving it the same electron configuration as a noble gas. The electronic configuration is the arrangement of electrons according to the increasing energies of the orbitals.