How many electrons do carbon and oxygen share?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Carbon and oxygen atoms share two pairs of electrons, or a total of four electrons in a double covalent bond.
Explanation
In carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon and oxygen atoms bond through covalent bonding, where electrons are shared between atoms to complete their valence shells. Here’s how it works in detail:
- Electron Configuration and Octet Rule: Carbon has an atomic number of 6, with an electron configuration of 1s² 2s² 2p², meaning it has four electrons in its outer shell. Oxygen, with an atomic number of 8, has an electron configuration of 1s² 2s² 2p⁴, meaning it has six electrons in its outer shell. For stability, both carbon and oxygen atoms aim to achieve a full outer shell, typically an “octet” or eight electrons.
- Bond Formation: To fulfill the octet rule, each oxygen atom needs two additional electrons, and carbon needs four more electrons. To achieve this, the carbon atom shares two of its electrons with each oxygen atom, forming a double covalent bond with each oxygen. In this process, carbon shares a total of four electrons, with each oxygen sharing two electrons back to complete the double bonds.
- Molecular Structure: In CO₂, the molecule is linear with each oxygen atom forming a double bond with the central carbon atom. This double bond (two pairs of shared electrons per bond) allows both carbon and oxygen atoms to fulfill their octet requirements, making the molecule stable.
In essence, carbon and oxygen share four electrons in total to form the double bonds, stabilizing the CO₂ molecule and resulting in a strong, stable molecular structure. This sharing of electrons is the basis for covalent bonding, a fundamental concept in chemistry that explains how atoms combine to form molecules.