Question

Elements forming ionic compounds attain noble gas configuration by either gaining or losing electrons from their outermost shells. Give reason to explain why carbon cannot attain noble gas configuration in this manner to form its compounds. Name the type of bonds formed in ionic compounds and in the compounds formed by carbon. Also give reason why carbon compounds are generally poor conductors of electricity.

Answer 1

Now carbon is at the borderline, basically it has a choice whether 1. it wants to gain 4 electrons or 2. lose the same in order ro acquire noble gas configuration.1st case In the former case its small nucleus wont be able to handle 4 more electrons i.e 10.2nd case Since we know energy is always required to knock out an electron from an element (Like always ;)) , the sum of four ionisation enthalpies (energy required to knock out the most loosely bound electron from a gaseous atom) would be very high.And therefore carbon chooses none of them and decides to share its electrons to complete its octet and hence follows octet rule.(2)THE TYPE OF BOND IN IONIC COMPOUNDS IS IONIC BOND AND IN CARBON IS COVALENT BOND.(3)Since carbon is not an ionic compound it do not conduct electricity in an any state.