When carbon forms single covalent bonds with four other atoms, the atoms joined to the carbon form a

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When carbon forms single covalent bonds with four other atoms, it forms a tetrahedron, with the carbon atom at the center and the four atoms (typically hydrogen or other carbon atoms) at the vertices of the tetrahedron. This is due to the tetrahedral arrangement of electron orbitals around the carbon atom in order to achieve its maximum stability.

When Carbon Forms Single Covalent Bonds with Four Other Atoms