A chemical reaction produces formaldehyde, CH2O. Carbon is in Group 14, oxygen is in Group 16, and hydrogen is in Group 1 on the periodic table. In one or two sentences, describe the bonds found in a molecule of formaldehyde in terms of valence electrons.(2 points)

Answer 1

In a molecule of formaldehyde (CH2O), carbon (C) uses its four valence electrons to form four covalent bonds: two with hydrogen (H) atoms, each contributing one electron, and one with an oxygen (O) atom, which has six valence electrons and shares two electrons to form a double bond. This results in a total of four shared pairs of electrons, representing two single bonds and one double bond in the molecular structure.