Why is that, even after being covalent, carbon(C), with a valency of 4, isn’t able to form di-atomic molecules, when atoms of hydrogen(H) and nitrogen(N) can?
In: Chemistry
[Carbon does form diatomic molecules](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomic_carbon), but it’s not stable at atmospheric pressure. But a potential reason why it doesn’t normally form a diatom is that there isn’t enough space in its electron orbits to accommodate all eight valence electrons.
Apparently [diatomic carbon does exist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomic_carbon), but it isn’t energetically stable at atmospheric pressure and temperature.
It looks like C2 creates some unique molecular orbitals that likely create the energetic instability. In addition, it looks like C2 ends up lending itself to polymerization, i.e. more carbons bonding to the ends. Unfortunately, I can’t provide much of an answer beyond that.
Because electrons are all negatively charged and therefore repulse each other. A quadruple bond would be unstable. In Nitrogen, you have a triple bond to the other nitrogen atom, but also a freue electron pair opposing the bond, which pushes the other electrons to one side, making it easier to bond. In Hydrogen there is no second electron, therefore no repulsion (and no possibility for a second bond whatsoever)
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