An atom of carbon will form four covalent bonds with other atoms in a typical stable molecule.

Quick Scoop

  • Carbon has 4 electrons in its outer (valence) shell and needs 8 to be stable, following the octet rule.
  • To reach this stable configuration, it shares 4 pairs of electrons, giving a total of 4 covalent bonds with neighboring atoms.
  • These 4 bonds can be arranged as:
    • Four single bonds (like in methane, CH₄)
* One double and two single bonds
* Two double bonds
* One triple and one single bond (like in acetylene, C₂H₂)

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