Why does a carbon atom form four covalent bonds?

Answer 1

A carbon atom has 4 electrons in its outer shell, and requires 8 to make itself stable. As all elements want to be stable, they need to find electrons from elsewhere.

As carbon is a non-metal, if it bonds with another non-metal then it will form covalent bonds, where the two non-metals share the electrons between themselves.

Also, as carbon needs 4 extra electrons, it will form 4 of these covalent bonds to make itself stable.

Answer 2

Carbon is in the column marked 4A, and it is in the second row (or, period). So, its 1s electron orbital is full, its 2s orbital is full, and it's 2p orbital only has 2, so it can still hold 4 electrons; therefore, carbon usually has four bonds.

Answer 3

A carbon atom can form four covalent bonds because it has four valence electrons in its outer shell, allowing it to bond with up to four other atoms to achieve a stable octet configuration. This versatility makes carbon unique in its ability to form diverse and complex organic molecules.

Answer 4

It has an electron structure of [He] 2s22p2 and wants to get to Neon which is stable with an electron structure of [He] 2s22p6 and thus needs to gain 4 electrons - or lose 4 to get to He