The number of carbon compounds is more than those formed by all other elements put together. Justify the statement by giving two reasons.

Explanation

To justify the statement that "the number of carbon compounds is more than those formed by all other elements put together," we can provide two main reasons: tetravalency and catenation. Here’s a step-by-step explanation:

### Step 1: Understanding Tetravalency
- **Definition**: Tetravalency refers to the ability of carbon to form four bonds with other atoms. This is due to carbon having four electrons in its outermost shell (valence shell).
- **Explanation**: Carbon has an atomic number of 6, which means it has 6 electrons. The electron configuration is 2 in the first shell and 4 in the second shell. Since it has 4 electrons in its outer shell, it cannot easily lose or gain electrons; instead, it shares these electrons with other atoms to form covalent bonds.

### Step 2: Formation of Various Compounds
- **Bonding Options**: Because of tetravalency, carbon can bond with:
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