Question

On your official formula sheet, you are provided a table of ions made by each element. On the table, it shows that carbon does not form an ion. Why do you think this is? Answer in your own words using 2-3 full sentences. HINT: Carbon has 4 valence electrons. What options are there for forming an ion from an atom with 4 valence electrons

Answer 1

Carbon does not form ions either C⁺⁴ or C^-4 ions .This is because if carbon form C⁺⁴,it require a lot of energy to lose the electrons which is not happen easily, if carbon form C^-4 by gaining 4 extra electrons, then, these 10 electrons are not easily held by nucleus which contain only 6 protons due to smaller size of carbon that is why gaining of 4 electrons create unstability of atom.

The only condition to form the ion by the atom having 4 electrons is that size of atom is larger, if the size of atom is larger than it will gain or lose the electron with effecting the nucleus much more.For example, the Pb atom also have 4 valence electrons but it is easily gain the 4 extra electrons and loss the 4 electrons due to the larger distance between valance shell and the nucleus.