Edited by: Somya Mehta | Graphic by: Ethan Kung
Why carbon is able to bond to so many other elements.
Fun fact: All living things are made up of carbon.
Another Fun Fact: That's the reason why I’m failing OChem.
But back on topic, carbons are known for their versatility when it comes to bonding. Most notably, they’re known for their ability to make long chains with their own species. This is what we call the backbone of life. But how are carbons able to form so many bonds with so many elements?
Bonding
Before we begin discussing why carbon bonds so well, it’s important to refresh on the basics of bonds. There are many types of bonds found in chemistry. The most notable ones are ionic bonds, metallic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and covalent bonds. Covalent bonds form when electrons are being shared between atoms. You can have a maximum of three bonds. Since we are now refreshed on the basics of bonds, let’s go back to exploring carbon.
Carbon’s Properties
To begin, we must first understand the properties of carbon. Carbons are relatively smaller than most elements and are moderately electronegative. Another fact, carbon has four valence electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons found in an atom’s outermost shell, and they are the electrons involved in forming chemical bonds. Finally, carbon is great at hybridization. Hybridization occurs when carbon’s atomic orbitals combine and rearrange to form new orbitals that are better positioned for bonding. In simpler terms, carbon reorganizes the spaces where its electrons are most likely to be found, allowing its electrons to be shared more effectively with other atoms. Moreover, Carbon can undergro a total of three hybridization each with their distinctive shapes.
Why Carbon Is Able to Form So Many Bonds
But the question still lies: how do all these things make carbon such a great bonder? Carbon’s small size is a major factor because it allows the nucleus to attract shared electrons more closely. Its four valence electrons also allow it to share electrons with multiple atoms and form bonds readily with many main-group elements, such as boron, oxygen, and nitrogen. Carbon’s different hybridization states arrange its orbitals in ways that allow them to overlap effectively with the orbitals of other atoms. This gives carbon the flexibility to form strong single, double, and triple bonds with a variety of molecular shapes. When carbon bonds with another carbon, this effective orbital overlap creates strong and stable carbon-carbon bonds. This allows carbon to form stable chains, branches, and rings without breaking easily, an ability known as catenation. Overall, the combination of carbon’s four valence electrons, small size, moderate electronegativity, strong carbon-carbon bonds, and different hybridization states explains why carbon can form so many stable and complex molecules.