How many bonds can atoms form?

Question

I have a science test tommorow and I just forgot something. How do you know how many bonds a atom can form is it by valence electron number or something else?

thanks!

So it would go 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,0 from left to right on periodic table?

Please clarify for me is it the 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,0 or the 1+,2+,3+,4+-,3-,2-,1-?

Answer 1

By its valence number. Remember the octet rule, atoms form bonds in order to have eight electrons in their outer shell (with the exception of hydrogen and helium.)

Answer 2

Atoms can form multiple covalent bonds if they need more than one electron to complete their valence shells. Oxygen, for example, bonds with itself to form 2 bonds between the atoms (since each atom needs to share 2 electrons).

Answer 3

the number of valence electrons it has is the number of bondings it can do.

Answer 4

atoms are polygomus..they can make as many bonds as they desire