The answer that helps to explain why carbon atoms tend to make 4 covalent bonds is based on the electron configuration and energy state of carbon. Carbon has four electrons in its valence shell (2s^2 2p^2), and to form stable bonds, this shell tends to fill with eight electrons (octet rule). Carbon undergoes hybridization, where the 2s and 2p orbitals mix to form four equivalent sp3 hybrid orbitals, each containing one electron available for bonding. This hybridization lowers the energy state of the atom, making it more stable when forming four covalent bonds with other atoms. Each covalent bond involves sharing two electrons, so by forming four bonds, carbon fills its valence shell with eight electrons, achieving stability. In essence, carbon tends to form four covalent bonds because:

• It has four valence electrons and needs to share four more electrons to fulfill the octet rule.
• Hybridization creates four equivalent orbitals for bonding.
• Forming four bonds results in a lower energy, more stable state for carbon atoms.