what are two properties of carbon which lead to formation of large number of compounds? why?
Answers
The 2 properties of carbon which lead to formation of large number of compounds are:
1. Tetravalency:
★ Since, carbon has a valency 4, if it gains 4 electrons to complete it's octet, it would become difficult for the nucleus with 6 protons to hold onto 10 electrons.
★ It could lose 4 electrons. But this would require large amount of energy to remove 4 electrons leaving behind Carbon ion with 6 protons holding onto 10 electrons.
★ Carbon overcomes this problem by sharing it's Valence electrons with other atoms or with carbon atoms. This type of bonding is called Covalent bonding.
2. Catenation:
Catenation is the self linking property of carbon to form long chains and rings through Covalent bond.
Why?
Due to it's small size, carbon has a strong tendency to form multiple bonds by sharing more than 1 electron pair.