Chapter 2.2, Problem 2CYP

Summary Introduction

To analyze:

The capacity of a carbon atom to form four covalent bonds.

Introduction:

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

A compound is a combination of two or more different elements. In this case, bonds are formed by sharing electrons between two or more atoms (covalent bond) or by losing/ gaining electrons forming ionic bonds.

For example, in water ($H_{2}O$) two hydrogen atoms are joined with one oxygen atom or share electrons. Table salt ($NaCl$), in which Na atom loses one electron and $Cl$ atom gains one electron and forms an ionic bond.

A molecule is the combination of two or more of the same element.

For example, H₂ 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.