Which statement best describes why carbon can form a wide variety of organic compounds? 1) each carbon atom ionically bonds with atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. 2)each carbon atom covalently bonds with atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. 3)each carbon atom ionically bonds with atoms of oxygen and nitrogen. 4)each carbon atom covalently bonds with atoms of oxygen and nitrogen.

The main question you have to answer is does carbon bond covalently or ionically? And with what?

It shares electrons with elements that have a similar or nearly equal electronegativity. The bonds are covalent in that case. The easy choices are hydrogen itself and oxygen.

The tough one is nitrogen. It turns out that the bond formed between these two is also covalent although like oxygen, the bond can be somewhat polar. (There is a plus and minus end to the molecule.)

Having said all of that, two is the best answer.

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