A single carbon atom can bond a total of _______ hydrogen atoms, and the outer shell of each hydrogen atom then contains _______ electrons.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A single carbon atom can form four covalent bonds, therefore it can bond a total of four hydrogen atoms. Each hydrogen atom has a single electron in its outer shell, so when it bonds with carbon, both atoms share electrons and the outer shell of each now has two electrons. Therefore, the answer is four hydrogen atoms with two electrons each, which matches choice D.

A Single Carbon Atom Can Bond a Total of _______