Carbon valence electrons

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Carbon is classified as a nonmetal, more specifically a reactive nonmetal, and holds 4 valence electrons. The valence electrons of carbon can be determined by two methods: either directly checking the group in which it is located on the periodic table, or using its electron configuration.

Methods

Using periodic table

Get the periodic table having the chemical elements marked on it as mentioned above.

Now mark the location of carbon on the periodic table.

Next, mark the group number of carbon on the periodic table.

The valence electrons of each main-group element can be determined by the column in which it is located.

(i.e., all group 1 elements have 1 valence electron, all group 2 elements have 2 valence electrons, skip the transition metals… then, all group 13 elements have 3 valence electrons, all group 14 elements have 4 valence electrons, and so on up to group 18 elements)

Since carbon is in group 14, it has 4 valence electrons.

Using electron configuration

• First, write electron configuration of carbon

The electron configuration of carbon is [He] 2s² 2p².

• Second, find highest energy level in electron configuration

In the above electron configuration, the highest energy level (2) is marked with green color.

• Finally, count electrons of that energy level

The 2^nd energy level contains 2s and 2p subshells. There are 2 electrons in the 2s subshell and 2 electrons in the 2p subshell. So carbon has a total of 2 + 2 = 4 valence electrons.

Next: Nitrogen valence electrons

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Related

• Periodic table

More topics

• Carbon
• Carbon Bohr model
• Carbon orbital diagram
• Carbon protons neutrons electrons

External links

• https://socratic.org/questions/how-many-valence-electrons-are-in-carbon
• https://homework.study.com/explanation/how-many-valence-electrons-does-carbon-atom-have.html
• https://www.quora.com/How-many-valence-electrons-are-in-carbon