Question

What Is The Valency Of Carbon?

Answer 1

Valency

• The valency of an atom refers to its ability to combine with other atoms.
• The valency of an element determines the number of bonds that an atom can make as part of a complex.
• The electrons in the atom's outermost orbit are referred to as valence electrons.

Valency Of Carbon

• An element's valency is a measure of its ability to combine with other atoms to form chemical compounds or molecules.
• Carbon's electronic configuration ($\mathrm{C}=6$) is $1{\mathrm{s}}^{2}2{\mathrm{s}}^{2}2{\mathrm{p}}^2$.
• Carbon's valency is determined by the following factors:
• Carbon either gets four electrons or loses four electrons to complete the octet structure.
• As the carbon atom is so small, it would be difficult for the nucleus to hold four additional electrons if it gained electrons.
• It takes a lot of energy to remove four electrons from the nucleus when carbon loses its electrons.
• By sharing its valence electrons, carbon forms four covalent bonds and achieves the noble gas structure.

Hence carbon will show the valency of $4$.