Carbon (C)
Element 6 · reactive nonmetal · group 14, period 2
Carbon is element 6, a reactive nonmetal in group 14 and period 2. Its electron configuration is [He] 2s2 2p2. That leaves 4 valence electrons in the outer shell, with the shells filling 2, 4. With 4 to gain and 4 to lose it is equally far from either, so it shares electrons in covalent bonds rather than forming ions. The charges listed for it, +4, -4, are oxidation states rather than charges it usually carries.
- 6 protons
- 4 valence e−
- +4, -4
- p-block
Carbon Lewis dot structure
Carbon has 4 valence electrons, so its Lewis symbol carries 4 dots: four single dots. The dots go one to a side before any of them pair up, so the unpaired ones show exactly how many bonds the atom tends to form.
Draw it in the Lewis structure generator →
Properties
| Atomic number | 6 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | C |
| Standard atomic weight | 12.011 u |
| Group | 14 |
| Period | 2 |
| Block | p-block |
| Category | reactive nonmetal |
| Electron configuration | 1s2 2s2 2p2 |
| Noble-gas notation | [He] 2s2 2p2 |
| Electrons per shell | 2, 4 |
| Valence electrons | 4 |
| Common ionic charge | +4, -4 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.55 |
| Protons / electrons | 6 / 6 |
Electron configuration of carbon
Orbitals fill from the lowest energy upward. Writing that out for carbon gives 1s2 2s2 2p2, which is 1s2 2s2 2p2 in plain text.
Everything up to He is the same as in that noble gas, so it is usually abbreviated to [He] 2s2 2p2. The part outside the bracket is what does the chemistry.
| Subshell | Electrons | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 1s | 2 | 2 |
| 2s | 2 | 2 |
| 2p | 2 | 6 |
Carbon ion charge
Carbon commonly forms ions with a charge of +4, -4.
It has 4 valence electrons, which puts it exactly as far from an empty outer shell as from a full one. Neither route is shorter, so it does not hand electrons over at all - it shares them, which is why it forms 4 covalent bonds. The values above are oxidation states rather than charges it normally carries.
Common questions
What is the Lewis dot structure of carbon?
The symbol C with 4 dots, one for each valence electron: four single dots. Dots go one to a side before any pair up, the same way electrons fill separate orbitals before sharing one.
How many valence electrons does carbon have?
Carbon has 4 valence electrons. For a main-group element the count is the group number minus 10, and carbon is in group 14.
What is the electron configuration of carbon?
1s2 2s2 2p2, or [He] 2s2 2p2 written from the previous noble gas. Orbitals fill lowest energy first.
What is the charge of carbon?
Carbon commonly forms ions with a charge of +4, -4. With 4 valence electrons it is exactly as far from an empty shell as from a full one, so neither route is shorter and it shares electrons instead. Those values are oxidation states, not charges it normally carries.
How many protons, electrons and neutrons does carbon have?
A neutral carbon atom has 6 protons and 6 electrons. Its standard atomic weight is 12.011, so the most common isotope has about 6 neutrons.
Carbon in Lewis structures
What the configuration above means in practice. Carbon brings 4 valence electrons to each of these, and the working on every one of them starts by counting exactly that.
Nearby elements
See the ionic charge of every element →