What is the valency of carbon?

What is the valency of carbon?

• A. Four
• B. Two
• C. Three
• D. One

Answer: (A)

Valency is the combining capacity of an atom—the number of bonds it typically forms to complete its outer shell. Carbon has four electrons in its outer shell and needs four more to reach a stable octet, so its valency is four. This explains why carbon commonly forms four covalent bonds, as seen in methane where it bonds to four hydrogens. It can also participate in double or triple bonds, but the total number of bonds around carbon in most stable compounds remains four. Thus, the valency of carbon is four.

Valency is the combining capacity of an atom—the number of bonds it typically forms to complete its outer shell. Carbon has four electrons in its outer shell and needs four more to reach a stable octet, so its valency is four. This explains why carbon commonly forms four covalent bonds, as seen in methane where it bonds to four hydrogens. It can also participate in double or triple bonds, but the total number of bonds around carbon in most stable compounds remains four. Thus, the valency of carbon is four.