Question

What is the total number of pairs of electrons that one carbon atom shares?

Answer 1

Answer:

4

Explanation:

A carbon atom has 4 electrons in its outermost shell (2s^2p^2).  All are unpaired (none share their orbital with another electron).  So all four are anxious to pair with another electron.  Once it has found 4 more electrons contributed from other atom(s), it will have 4 pairs of shared electrons.

Hydrogen has one lone electron.  An atom of H is downright gleeful in sharing it's electron with elements such as carbon, C.  Since carbon has 4 unpaied electrons, it will combine with 4 H atoms.  At that point, cabon is sharing 4 electron pairs.