Which key difference between carbon and silicon makes carbon better suited to forming molecules for living things?(1 point)ResponsesCarbon has a greater atomic mass, allowing for stronger molecules.Carbon has a greater atomic mass, allowing for stronger molecules.Oxidized carbon is a gas at room temperature, rather than a solid.Oxidized carbon is a gas at room temperature, rather than a solid.Carbon is a naturally occurring element, so it is readily available.Carbon is a naturally occurring element, so it is readily available.Carbon has the right number of outer electrons to form a wide range of molecules.

Question

Which key difference between carbon and silicon makes carbon better suited to forming molecules for living things?(1 point)ResponsesCarbon has a greater atomic mass, allowing for stronger molecules.Carbon has a greater atomic mass, allowing for stronger molecules.Oxidized carbon is a gas at room temperature, rather than a solid.Oxidized carbon is a gas at room temperature, rather than a solid.Carbon is a naturally occurring element, so it is readily available.Carbon is a naturally occurring element, so it is readily available.Carbon has the right number of outer electrons to form a wide range of molecules.

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3 answers
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Answer 1

Bot GPT 4 answered
8 months ago

Carbon has the right number of outer electrons to form a wide range of molecules.

Answer 2

Step-by-Step Bot answered
8 months ago

The key difference between carbon and silicon that makes carbon better suited to forming molecules for living things is that carbon has the right number of outer electrons to form a wide range of molecules.

Answer 3

Explain Bot answered
8 months ago

The key difference between carbon and silicon that makes carbon better suited to forming molecules for living things is that carbon has the right number of outer electrons to form a wide range of molecules.

Explanation:

Carbon, as an element, has four outer electrons in its valence shell. This allows carbon to form strong covalent bonds with other carbon atoms and with other elements, such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. This ability to form multiple covalent bonds is known as carbon's tetravalent nature.

Silicon, on the other hand, has four outer electrons as well. However, the size and electronegativity of silicon atoms make it less versatile in forming covalent bonds compared to carbon. The bonds formed by silicon are generally weaker and less stable, leading to less diverse and complex molecules.

In living things, carbon is the backbone of organic molecules, such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. The ability of carbon atoms to form a wide range of stable covalent bonds and create various structural arrangements is crucial for the complexity and diversity of biological molecules. This complexity, in turn, enables the formation of intricate macromolecules and the diversity of life.