What is the octet rule of carbon?

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What is the octet rule of carbon?

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Answer 1 · 2014-02-08T02:38:06

The octet rule is the understanding that most atoms seek to gain stability in their outer most energy level by filling the s and p orbitals of the highest energy level with eight electrons.

Carbon has an electron configuration of $1 s^{2} 2 s^{2} 2 p^{2}$ $1s^2 2s^2 2p^2$ this means that carbon has four valence electrons $2 s^{2} 2 p^{4}$ $2s^2 2p^4$ . Carbon seeks out four additional electrons to fill the p orbital and gain the stability of a noble gas, $1 s^{2} 2 s^{2} 2 p^{6}$ $1s^2 2s^2 2p^6$ .

However, now carbon has 10 electrons and only 6 protons making it a -4 charge anion $C^{- 4}$ $C^(-4)$ .

Although, carbon can also lose four electrons and become stable at $1 s^{2}$ $1s^2$ and become $C^{+ 4}$ $C^(+4)$ .

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What is the octet rule of carbon?

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