[Chemistry Class Notes] on Anomalous Behaviour of Carbon Pdf for Exam

The crust of the Earth is made up of 0.02 percent carbon, which can be found in various forms throughout the planet. Carbon is the first object that comes to mind when looking at the group since it is so different from the others. In addition to its unusual size, high electrification, high ionization energy, and lack of d-orbitals, carbon shows unusual behavior due to a variety of characteristics, including its lack of d-orbitals. Carbon-based compounds have high melting and boiling temperatures compared to other elements in the same group as carbon, such as oxygen.

Anomalous Behavior of Carbon

In several ways, carbon, the first element in group 14, differs from the other elements in its group, causing it to behave in a manner that is out of character for the element.

The strange behavior of carbon can be explained by the following:

1. Tetravalency

An atom of carbon has four electrons in the outermost region of its shell, called the outer component of the surface. It requires four more electrons to complete its octet, and thus it must add them to complete it. To obtain its entire set of electrons, carbon must first share them with other atoms in the presence of other particles. Final result: Because it shares electrons with other atoms, the carbon atom creates four covalent connections at the end of its life cycle. The phrase “tetravalency of carbon” refers to how many carbon atoms are contained inside a certain quantity of space (tetra means four). The four valences of carbon are organized in the following manner.

2. Catenation

Catenation is a process in which carbon atoms join together to create covalent bonds with other carbon atoms, resulting in longer carbon chains and structures. For this reason, there are so many organic chemicals present throughout the Earth. Carbon is best recognized for its capacity to catenate, which is utilized in organic chemistry to examine structures composed of catenated carbon atoms. Carbon is also known for its ability to catenate.

3. Small Size of Carbon

Because of the small size of the carbon atom, it is easier to form numerous bonds, and catenation is also possible because of its small size. Carbon is a half-filled element because it possesses four electrons in its outermost portions, indicating that it is only half-filled. Because the nucleus can hold both electrons bonded to one other and electrons that are not linked to each other, it is stable.

4. Electronegativity

This isn’t the only thing carbon can do, and it can make pp – pp multiple bonds with itself and different molecules. This can also be because it is small and has high electronegativity. C = C, C° C, C = O, C = S, and C° N would be some of them.