Example: H and C
Home Up Example: H and C Example: H and N Example: H and O Example: H and Cl Practice with Formulas Practice with Names Example: O and C Example: O and N Example: O and Cl Practice with Formulas and Names

 

Example - Hydrogen and Carbon

Hydrogen has one electron in its outer shell and it needs one more electron. Carbon has four electrons in its outer shell and it needs four more electrons. The need ratio of H:C is one-to-four so a reasonable atom ratio would be four-to-one. Each hydrogen can give the carbon atom one electron. Since the carbon atom needs four electrons, it bonds to four hydrogen atoms. That gives us the formula for a compound between carbon and hydrogen of CH4. Notice that the carbon starts with four electrons, and it shares each one of those four with a hydrogen, and each hydrogen shares its one electron with the carbon. Therefore, the carbon ends up with eight electrons around it and each hydrogen ends up with two electrons around it. Thus, the octet rule is satisfied for carbon because it has eight electrons surrounding it. Hydrogen is satisfied with two electrons because that is all it has room for in its outer shell.
H · has 1
needs 1
  H C
need ratio 1 4
atom ratio 4 1
formula CH4
·
·  C  ·
·		 has 4
needs 4

H
··
H : C : H
··
H

 

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