What Is the Carbon Atom

Carbon (from Latin: carbo “coal”) is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon makes up only about 0.025 percent of Earth’s crust.

How do you identify a carbon atom?

1. Primary Carbon (1°) – Carbon attached to one other carbon.
2. Secondary Carbon (2°) – Carbon attached to two other carbons.
3. Tertiary Carbon (3°) – Carbon attached to three other carbons.

What is the structure of carbon atom?

Carbon has two electron shells, with the first holding two electrons and the second holding four out of a possible eight spaces. When atoms bond, they share electrons in their outermost shell. Carbon has four empty spaces in its outer shell, enabling it to bond to four other atoms.