Tetravalency of Carbon: Overview, Questions, Preparation - JEE PDF Download

Introduction

Carbon's tetravalency refers to its ability to form bonds with other atoms by sharing its valence electrons. By forming four covalent bonds, carbon is classified as tetravalent, with "tetra" meaning "four." Carbon is an abundant element in nature and serves various purposes to humans in both its elemental and combined forms. All living organisms consist of some form of carbon. Despite its relative scarcity, accounting for only about 0.03% in the atmosphere and 0.02% in the Earth's crust, carbon holds tremendous importance for humans. Carbon can share its valence electrons not only with other carbon atoms but also with atoms of other elements. For instance, hydrogen can form one of the simplest molecules through the sharing of valence electrons.

Hydrogen formation:

• The diagram above illustrates the combination of two hydrogen atoms through a single covalent bond, resulting in the formation of a hydrogen molecule, H2.
• The tetravalent nature of carbon is exemplified in the formation of methane, a carbon compound. With its four valence electrons, carbon bonds with four hydrogen atoms to create methane, which is a stable compound.

Carbon dot structure for methane:

• The electron dot structure represents the arrangement of electrons in methane, a carbon compound.
• Carbon's tetravalency enables it to form valuable and practical compounds like diamond and graphite. Its valency of four allows carbon to bond with four other atoms. Consequently, carbon can create compounds with elements such as oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur, chlorine, and many others. Notably, the bonds that carbon forms are exceptionally strong, resulting in highly stable compounds. Carbon's small size enables its nucleus to strongly attract the shared pairs of electrons.
• Carbon's tetravalency facilitates its bonding with other elements to form diverse types of compounds. Therefore, carbon is considered a versatile element due to its tetravalent nature.