Here's why:
* Valence Electrons: Carbon has 4 electrons in its outermost shell (valence shell).
* Octet Rule: Atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a stable configuration of 8 electrons in their valence shell (the octet rule).
* Covalent Bonding: Carbon achieves stability by sharing its four valence electrons with other atoms through covalent bonds. This results in a total of eight electrons in its valence shell, fulfilling the octet rule.
