Why are bonds between carbon atoms so incredibly strong as compared with other elements???
916738
becoz carbon have very special property\nthe speciality of carbon is its 4 valency electrons,,,, which can be form its octet to achieve stablity by loosing, gaining the 4 electrons,,,,,, or it will share electrons to form octet \n\neven carbon shows catenation property i.e. carbon have tendency to form long chains relating to other atoms which is existing in periodic table\n\ncarbon is basic element for life which is existing on earth
122920
Why do atoms not fly apart? After all, the nucleus is a bunch of positive charges all very close together. \n\nAnswer: the strong force holds the nucleus together.
1047692
No.\n\nBy definition (IMO), macromolecules contain many __more__ covalent bonds than non-covalent bonds.  The covalent bonds are also __stronger__ than the non-covalent bonds.\n\nI will add that the realm where non-covalent bonds are most interesting is at the larger scale of structure; assembling lipids, carbohydrates and proteins (held together by non-covalent bonds) into membranes, ribosomes, mitochondria, cell walls, blood vessels, bones .... bodies ... trees ...\n\nYou get the picture :-)
680519
yes, it does because fluorine, being such an electronegative elements allows one of its lone pairs to become a bonding pair for another hydrogen to attach (other than its already used up bonding pair). and like the first quote HF has some of the strongest H-bonds due to the fluorine being one of most electronegative elements.
1048760
Strong bonds between the molcules mean that all the molecules are held together rigidly and remain in the same position.\n\nliquids and gases have weaker bonds allowing the molecules in them to move more freely, therefore taking the shape of their container.
30562
carbon is tetravalent (ie it is able to form bonds with 4 other atoms. It therefore can form backbones of more complex structures (see diamond and graphite). It is also found abundantly on earth.
267649
An atom always wants 8 electrons in it's outer shell, or 8 valence electrons.  That is the main rule they go by when bonding.  Carbon which has 4 valence electrons need 4 more to become a stable molecule and be happy.  4 Hydrogen atoms, which have only one valence electron each can bond to it and therefore give carbon those 8 electrons (they share them).  Notice that Hydrogen will not have 8 valence electrons...Hydrogen is an exception (there always are).  It is happy with just two.  Fluorine is sometimes happy with 6, and I think that Nitrogen is sometimes stubborn and can deal with 5.\n\nThis octet rule is also the reason that all those noble gasses on the right side of the periodic table never react with anything.  There is only one known exception to this and it is the compound Xenon Tetrafluoride (there's that fluorine again).
643513
It is energetically more stable for carbon atoms to have the configuration of graphite at atmospheric pressure.  However, under lots of pressure, it obviously favors diamond.  It doesn't change back because even though it is more favorable to be graphite, it is much harder for carbon to do the changing necessary.  It's like, dropping a ball, if you drop it inside a 20 story building, it'll still only hit the floor in front of you.  It would have less potential energy on the 1st floor, but it would have to have lots more energy than it does to get there.
97857
Yeah, it's the greatest electronegativity difference between the two atoms that are forming that bond.  In other words, it's the difference between how far away the two elements are from fluorine, the most electronegative element.  Diatomic molecules like Cl2 are very nonpolar because both Cl atoms are equidistant from fluorine, and HBr is more polar because Br is closer to fluorine than hydrogen.
8113
because the carbon-carbon bonds in a diamond are bonded to 4 other carbon atoms in a tetrahedron pattern which is much stronger than the graphite bonds which look almost like flat sheets and have very weak atomic bonds
675034
Practicalche is essentially right. There's only one thing I would like to add: the kind of interaction between these  molecules arises by induced dipoles (called \nVan der Waals). \nAll kind of chemical attraction is electrostatic, but these molecules have neither positive nor negative densities (because they are "formed" with C and H, very similar in electronegativities).\nThen the attraction is instantaneous and occurs just because in one of the molecules at a certain instant an electronic density forms and as a consequence an opposed density is generated in a neighboring molecule. \nThe capability to form local electronic densities within the molecule depends on its size: the bigger the molecule the easier it is to induce a dipole formation (a positive zone and a negative zone within the molecule).\nSo intermolecular interactions are indeed stronger in bigger molecules.
879105
Atoms may fill their valence shells by chemical bonding. This can be achieved one of two ways: \n1. an atom can either share electrons with other atoms (a covalent bond), \n2. or it can remove electrons from (or donate electrons to) other atoms (an ionic bond). The formation of a bond causes a strong attraction between two atoms, creating molecules or ionic compounds.
147054
Metallic bonding is the bonding within metals. It involves the delocalized sharing of free electrons between a lattice of metal atoms. Thus, metallic bonds may be compared to molten salts.\n\ne.g. Iron (Fe)... Why is it so strong? Of course, metallic bonding.\n\nMetal atoms typically contain a small amount of electrons in their valence shell compared to their period or energy level. These become delocalised and form a Sea of Electrons surrounding a giant lattice of positive ions.\n\nMetals seem to have higher boiling and melting points which might suggest stronger bonds between the atoms.\n\nMetallic bonding, as with covalent bonding is non-polar, in that there is no (for pure elemental metals) or very little (for alloys) electronegativity difference among the atoms participating in the bonding interaction, and the electrons involved in that interaction are delocalized across the crystalline structure of the metal.\n\nThe metallic bond accounts for many physical characteristics of metals, such as strength, malleability, ductility, conduction of heat and electricity, and luster. See also chemical bond.\n\nMetallic bonding is the electrostatic attraction between the metal atoms or ions and the delocalised electrons. This is why atoms or layers are allowed to slide past each other, resulting in the characteristic properties of malleability and ductility.\n\nMetallic bond are different from chemical bonds. Ionic and covalent bonds are chemical bonds.\n\nCovalent bonding is a common type of bonding, in which the electronegativity difference between the bonded atoms is small or non-existent. In the latter case, the bond is sometimes referred as purely covalent. See sigma bonds and pi bonds for current LCAO-explanation of non-polar bonds.\ne.g. CH4 (methane)\n\nIonic bonding is type of electrostatic bond between atoms which have an electronegativity difference of over 1.6 (this limit is a convention). These form in a solution between two ions after the excess of the solvent is removed.\ne.g. NaCl (common salt)\n\n<BEST ANSWER>\n============================================================\nHey, I tried to draw the structures of NaCl and methane molecules but this Yahoo! made it impossible. I hope you know the structurel.
157419
Carbon can combine with most elments very easily and it makes the strongest bonds.
1072706
You're forgetting something with your reasoning here.  It is true that in chemistry, creating bonds releases energy, but how do you get particles to create bonds between?  You have to break other bonds, which requires energy.  If catabolic pathways release energy when they break down complex molecules, the amount of energy it takes to break those bonds is less than the amount of energy released when new bonds are formed from the broken-up parts.
858037
carbon. because it can bond with more elements than any other, including itself.\n\nhence life is made out of it.\n\nit is extremely hard (diamond) and can be extremely soft (graphite). \n\nit doesnt have a melting point.
1146263
Molecular bonding.\n\nThis is a function of the atomic weight (protons in the nuclei) and the distrobution of the electron shell.  Give me three years and I will explain it fully.