Carbon (C)
Carbon is element 6, a nonmetal in group 14, period 2. A neutral atom has 6 protons, 6 neutrons and 6 electrons, 4 of them valence electrons.
Nonmetal- Atomic number
- 6
- Atomic mass
- 12.011 u
- Valence electrons
- 4
- Protons · neutrons
- 6 · 6
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 4
- At room temperature
- solid
Bohr model of carbon
The Bohr model draws carbon as a nucleus of 6 protons and 6 neutrons, with its 6 electrons on 2 circular shells: 2 in shell 1, 4 in shell 2. Press Build the atom to watch the shells fill from the inside out. The outer ring (the L shell) is dashed: the electrons there are the ones that take part in chemistry.
Real electrons don't travel in neat circles. They live in fuzzy orbitals, shown below, but the Bohr picture is the quickest way to count shells and valence electrons.
Electron configuration of carbon
1s² 2s² 2p²
Short form (noble gas notation): [He] 2s² 2p². The [He] stands for the electrons of helium, the noble gas before it.
How many valence electrons does carbon have?
Carbon has 4 valence electrons.
Carbon is in group 14, and for groups 13–18 you subtract 10 from the group number: 14 − 10 = 4. It tends to share electrons in covalent bonds.
Protons, neutrons and electrons
| Protons | 6 | equal to the atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| Electrons | 6 | equal to the protons in a neutral atom |
| Neutrons | 6 | mass number 12 − 6 protons |
Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). The count above uses the rounded atomic mass, the way it's taught in class.
Carbon properties
| Symbol | C |
|---|---|
| Category | Nonmetal |
| Group · period · block | 14 · 2 · p |
| Atomic mass | 12.011 u |
| State at 25 °C | solid |
| Melting point | 3,823 K (3,550 °C, 6,420 °F) |
| Boiling point | 4,098 K (3,820 °C, 6,920 °F) |
| Density | 2.267 g/cm³ |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.55 |
| Atomic radius | 170 pm |
| First ionization energy | 11.26 eV |
| Electron affinity | 1.263 eV |
| Oxidation states | +4, +2, −4 |
| Common ion charge | +4, +2 |
| Discovered | Known since ancient times |
Where carbon sits on the periodic table
Group 14: Silicon, Germanium, Tin, Lead, Flerovium.
Questions about carbon
How many valence electrons does carbon have?
Carbon has 4 valence electrons.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does carbon have?
A neutral carbon atom has 6 protons and 6 electrons. Its most common form has about 6 neutrons (mass number 12 − 6 protons).
What is the electron configuration of carbon?
1s² 2s² 2p², written in short form as [He] 2s² 2p².
What does the Bohr model of carbon look like?
A nucleus of 6 protons and 6 neutrons, circled by 2 electron shells holding 2, 4 electrons.
What is the atomic number of carbon?
6. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is what makes an atom carbon.