Question

quiz instructions
make sure youve read through all of the background information before you take this quiz.
youll have 2 attempts, and your highest score will be kept.

question 1
0.5 pts
a single carbon atom can have a maximum of how many bonds?
options (partial view): 4, 2, 3, 6 (exact options as per image)

Explanation:

Carbon has an atomic number of 6, with an electron configuration of 1s²2s²2p². The outermost shell (valence shell) has 4 electrons. To achieve a stable octet (or duet for the first shell, but carbon is in the second period), carbon can form bonds by sharing electrons. Each bond involves sharing a pair of electrons, and with 4 valence electrons, carbon can form a maximum of 4 covalent bonds (e.g., in methane \(CH_4\), carbon is bonded to 4 hydrogen atoms, each with a single bond; or in double/triple bonds, but the total number of bonds (single, double, or triple) sums to 4 maximum, as the valence electrons available for bonding are 4). So the correct option is the one with 4.

Answer:

The correct option is the one labeled with "4" (assuming the last option is 4, e.g., if the options are A. 1, B. 2, C. 3, D. 4, then the answer is D. 4).