What makes carbon one of the most important elements to life on Earth? A. it forms covalent bonds easily with other atoms. B. It rarely forms bonds with other atoms. C. It is naturally unstable. D. It only has two valence elections for bonding.
A. it forms covalent bonds easily with other atoms.
The correct answer is A. Carbon forms covalent bonds easily with other atoms.
Carbon is one of the most important elements to life on Earth because it has the unique ability to form strong covalent bonds with other carbon atoms, as well as with many other elements. This property allows carbon to form the backbone of organic molecules, the building blocks of life. Carbon's ability to form multiple bonds and create diverse molecular structures is crucial for the complexity and diversity of biological molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids.
The correct answer is A. Carbon forms covalent bonds easily with other atoms, making it one of the most important elements for life on Earth.
Carbon is considered the building block of life because it has a versatile ability to form covalent bonds with other elements, including itself. This ability allows it to create a wide variety of complex molecular structures, such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids, which are essential for life.
Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms, and carbon has four valence electrons, which means it can form up to four covalent bonds. This property allows carbon to form stable and intricate structures that are crucial for the functioning of biological systems.
In contrast, the remaining options (B, C, and D) are not accurate descriptions of carbon's characteristics. Carbon does not rarely form bonds with other atoms, it is not naturally unstable, and it actually has four valence electrons available for bonding, not two. Therefore, the correct answer is A.