How many valence electrons does a carbon atom possess?

• A. 2
• B. 6
• C. 8
• D. 4

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell (energy level) of an atom that are involved in chemical bonding.
2. Determine the electron configuration of a carbon atom. Carbon has an atomic number of 6, so it has 6 electrons in total.
3. Write the electron configuration for carbon: \$1s^2 2s^2 2p^2$.
4. Identify the electrons in the outermost shell, which is the second shell (n=2) for carbon. These are the electrons in the \$2s\( and \)2p$ orbitals.
5. Count the valence electrons: \$2\( electrons in \)2s\( plus \)2\( electrons in \)2p\( gives a total of \)4$ valence electrons.