Question

What is the versatile nature of carbon?

Answer 1

Carbon is a versatile element and is found in many different chemical compounds, including those found in space. Carbon is versatile because it can form single, double, and triple bonds. It can also form chains, branched chains, and rings when connected to other carbon atoms.

Carbon is normally tetravalent, meaning it makes four bonds to other atoms. In the picture below, different types of carbon molecules are shown. The lines represent two electron bonds, the dots represent electrons, and the balloons represent orbitals. Carbon has four valence electrons, that is, four electrons in the outermost shell.

Electrons in atoms can be found in orbitals. These orbitals are found in shells. Think about a jawbreaker. A jawbreaker has multiple layers all the way down to the center. Each layer can be thought of as a shell of electrons. The electrons that are in the outermost shell, the valence electrons, are most accessible to other atoms and molecules.

The only flavor you taste on a brand new jawbreaker is the one that is on top, the outermost layer. Using this analogy, you can see why it is the outermost electrons, the valence electrons, that are responsible for the chemical reactivity of an atom.

The molecules studied in Professor McMahon's research are primarily carbon-based. They nearly all contain multiple bonds, many are in the form of rings, and some are carbenes and radicals. Professor McMahon and his students synthesize the molecules they study since going into space and retrieving them would be impossible because they are so far away!

Each of the reactions below involves a synthesis reaction done in the McMahon laboratory. The Lewis Diagrams show the valence electrons in each of the reactant and product molecules. Each reaction on this page has a double reaction

When some chemical reactions occur, one reactant molecule is transformed into one product molecule. To represent the movement of valance electrons in a chemical process arrows are drawn on the molecule. A single headed arrow on a molecule (below in blue) represents movement of a single electron (radical) involved in making or breaking a bond. An example of a chemical reaction with arrows drawn to indicate breaking and forming bonds

Answer 2

What is the versatile nature of carbon?

❶❭ Catenation

The linking of identical items together to form long chains.

Chain may be straight, branched & closed.

Ex: Silicon, Sulphur, oxygen & Phosphorus

❷❭ Tetravalency

The ability to link other atoms by four covalent bonds

Ex: Hydrogen & Chlorine

❸❭ Multiple Bonding

The ability to form double of triple bonds with itself or with other atoms.

Ex: Oxygen, Nitrogen & Sulphur