Carbon and its Compounds

Carbon has 4 valence electrons

Carbon has 4 valence electrons and needs 4 more to complete its octet. Instead of gaining or losing electrons (which would require too much energy), c

Carbon atoms can arrange themselves

Carbon atoms can arrange themselves in different ways to form diamond (3D rigid structure with each carbon bonded to 4 others), graphite (hexagonal la

Catenation is carbon's unique ability

Catenation is carbon's unique ability to form long chains by bonding with other carbon atoms. Tetravalency means carbon can form 4 bonds. Together, th

Saturated compounds have only single bonds

Saturated compounds have only single bonds between carbon atoms (like alkanes CₙH₂ₙ₊₂), while unsaturated compounds have double or triple bonds (alken

Functional groups are atoms or groups

Functional groups are atoms or groups of atoms that give specific properties to compounds (like -OH in alcohols, -COOH in acids). A homologous series