* Electronegativity: Carbon is less electronegative than chlorine. This means carbon has a weaker hold on its electrons and is more likely to share them.
* Valence Electrons: Carbon has four valence electrons, while chlorine has seven. Carbon needs to form four bonds to complete its octet, while chlorine only needs one.
* Stability: In the most stable arrangement, carbon forms four single bonds with four chlorine atoms, resulting in a tetrahedral geometry. This arrangement satisfies the octet rule for all atoms.
Therefore, carbon is the central atom in carbon tetrachloride, acting as the "hub" for the four chlorine atoms.
