Question

How do you determine the number of covalent bonds that an atom will make?

Answer 1

by the number of valence electrons.


If an atom has 7 valence e, it will make 1 covalent bond
if 6 valence e, 2 bonds
if 5 valence e, 3 bonds
if 4 valence e, 4 bonds

if 8, then zero.

There are many exceptions to this rule though