Why do atoms form compounds?

Atoms combine to form compounds because of electric forces that attract them to each other. The process by which two atoms link together is called bonding. ... Carbon can bond with four other atoms, because it has four open slots in its outermost electron shell. read more

Atoms form chemical bonds in order to make their outer electron shells more stable. The type of chemical bond maximizes the stability of the atoms that form it. An ionic bond, where one atom essentially donates an electron to another, forms when one atom becomes stable by losing its outer electrons and the other atoms become stable (usually by filling its valence shell) by gaining the electrons. read more