Question

The valency of carbon in organic compounds is

• A. 1
• B. 2
• C. 3
• D. 4

Hint:

Carbon's tetravalency is the foundation of organic chemistry. It allows carbon to form a vast number of compounds by bonding with itself and other elements in various arrangements.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Valency is the combining capacity of an element. It is the number of electrons an atom needs to gain, lose, or share to achieve a stable electron configuration (usually a full outer shell).

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The atomic number of carbon is 6. Its electronic configuration is (2, 4).
Carbon has 4 electrons in its outermost (valence) shell. To achieve the stable configuration of the nearest noble gas (Neon, 2, 8), it needs to gain 4 more electrons.
Instead of gaining or losing electrons (which would require a large amount of energy), carbon shares its 4 valence electrons with other atoms to form four covalent bonds.
This ability to form four covalent bonds is known as tetravalency. Therefore, the valency of carbon is 4.

Step 3: Final Answer:
In all its organic compounds, carbon is tetravalent, meaning its valency is 4.