Question

Which of the following non-metal is known to form the largest number of compounds? A. carbon
B. sulphur
C. nitrogen
D. chlorine

Answer 1

Hint:It has catenation property. 15th most abundant element in the Earth's crust. It is the second most abundant element in the human body by mass.

Complete step by step answer:
Carbon is the non-metal which is known to form the largest number of compounds by the help of its property, Catenation. Catenation is the inclination of a component to shape chains of indistinguishable molecules. This tendency is seen on account of non-metals demonstrating covalency of at least two. Be that as it may, this property is most extreme in carbon as it can combine with other carbon particles by single, double or triple covalent bonds.
Catenation property relies on the estimation of bond energy which is greatest on account of carbon Carbon is the only element that can form so many different compounds because each carbon atom can form four chemical bonds to other atoms, and on the grounds that the carbon particle is the perfect, little size to fit in serenely as parts of exceptionally huge atoms. Having the nuclear number 6, each carbon molecule has a sum of six electrons. Two are in a finished inward circle, while the other four are valence electrons—external electrons that are accessible for framing bonds with different molecules.
The carbon molecule's four valence electrons can be shared by different iotas that have electrons to share, along these lines framing covalent (shared-electron) bonds. They can even be shared by other carbon particles, which thus can impart electrons to other carbon iotas, etc, shaping long strings of carbon molecules, attached to one another like connections in a chain.
Hence, the correct option is (A) carbon.

Note:
Non-metals are usually poor conductors of heat and electricity. They are non-lustrous, non-sonorous, non-malleable & are coloured in nature. Carbon is the 15th most abundant element in the Earth's crust, and the fourth most abundant element in the universe by mass after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen.