Carbon, when lose 4 and gain 4 e-?

[Chem_Mod]

Question: Since Carbon has 4 valence electrons, why does it need to gain an extra four electrons to satisfy the octet guideline? Wouldn't losing 4 electrons also make it isoelectronic with a noble gas while requiring even less energy?

[Chem_Mod]

Answer: Only it is not favorable for carbon to lose those 4 electrons from its valence shell. Try finding the ionization energy of carbon and this will give you a better idea of why it is more favorable to add bonds then to remove electrons.