How many covalent bonds can Fluorine and Carbon form together?

Question

javk · Answer

Fluorine is in group 7 of the periodic table, to complete the outer shell it needs 1 more electron, therefore it has a valency of 1.
Carbon is in group 4 of the periodic table, that means it has a valency of 4.

Now cross multiply

C     F
   /
   /\
4     1

Meaning for every 1 carbon atom there need to be 4 fluorine atoms, therefore the formula of the compound would be $CF _{4}$

anonymous · Answer

Thank you! So does that it can make five covalent bonds together?

javk · Answer

No...
the molecule would look something like this
```
    F
    |
F-C-F
    |
    F
```
which means there are 4 bonds, I think you counted one of them twice