Free response question
describe the properties of carbon that makes it possible for millions of carbon compounds to occur naturally.

Carbon has an exceptional ability to bind with a wide variety of other elements. Carbon makes four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds, allowing carbon atoms to form multiple stable bonds with other small atoms, including hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen

Explanation:

Carbon atoms have 4 electrons in their outermost capacity, which allows them to form a wide variety of atomic orbitals with great binding power. Carbon atoms can be linked together in a variety of ways and in a number of atoms. Then chains of miles of atoms or rings of all sizes can be formed; These chains and rings may have ramifications. Other atoms are attached to the carbons of these chains and rings; mainly hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus. For example, there are carbon and hydrogen compounds called aliphatic hydrocarbons, in which the carbon atoms are joined by one, two or three bonds forming chains. Another example is aromatic hydrocarbons, where carbon atoms associate with each other and with other elements forming cyclic structures that contain delocalized electrons.

This particular characteristic of carbon (the ability to bond with each other as well as with many other elements) is what allows so many carbon compounds to exist.

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