Question

Can you explain the importance of catenation in carbon?

Answer 1

To answer this question we should know what catenation and cause of catenation is. The tendency of an atom to form a bond with another same size atom to form a long chain is known as catenation. The size of the atom, electronegativity, and absence of d-orbitals are some factors that favours the catenation.

Complete solution:
Carbon is the first element of the fourteenth group. An atomic number of the carbon is .carbon has four valence electrons so the covalency of carbon is four. Carbon has only s and p-orbitals whereas other atoms of the same group also have d-orbitals. Carbon has the smallest size in the fourteenth group so, carbon shows different behaviour and other atoms of the fourteenth groups.
Due to its small size, the carbon atom can form several C-C bonds hence a long chain, the tendency of carbon to form a long chain is known as catenation.
Most of the organic compounds, even the biological compounds also such as carbohydrates, proteins contain carbon due to the catenation ability of carbon. So, carbon forms a wide range of organic compounds.

Note: Small size, high electronegativity, and absence of d-orbital favours the catenation in carbon. Electronegativity decreases down in the group. The size of the atom increases down in the group. Carbon is of small size, so the p-p bonds are strong and also due to small size carbon can form a long p-p bond. Not only carbon, some other atoms such as hydrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur can form catenation.