Login

why carbon forms a large number of compounds ?

In short,  carbon has two special qualities. 
  • TETRAVALNCY -  It has a valancy of four. So one carbon atom can bond with four other atoms or form four bond.
  • CATENATION - Carbon atom can for bond with other carbon atoms, they can for long chains of C atoms.
Due to these factors carbon will bond with anything and everything with four others at once. Carbon is  a slut.
HOPE THIS HELPS U..

  • 4
View Full Answer
Carbon has some really unique properties which help to form such a large number of compounds :-

Catenation- It is the ability of carbon compounds to form long chains, branched chains or rings.

Smaller nucleus helps it to attract more number of electrons.

Tetravalency- It has got 4 valence electrons..( actually even silicon, lead and all of group 18 elements are tetra valent but carbon is the one with the above properties as well, which give it an edge over the other elements).
  • 3
What are you looking for?