* Carbon's Electronic Configuration: Carbon has 6 electrons. Its electronic configuration is 1s²2s²2p². It has 4 electrons in its outermost shell (2s²2p²).

* The Octet Rule: Atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a stable configuration with 8 electrons in their outermost shell (the octet rule).

* Covalent Bonding: Carbon achieves this stability by sharing its 4 valence electrons with other atoms, forming four covalent bonds.

Example: In methane (CH₄), carbon shares its four valence electrons with four hydrogen atoms, forming four single covalent bonds. Each hydrogen atom contributes one electron to the shared pair, completing carbon's octet.