Final answer:
Carbon is special because of its tetravalency, enabling it to form four strong covalent bonds with other atoms. This allows for a tremendous diversity of organic compounds, ranging from simple molecules to complex structures vital to life, making carbon the foundation for organic chemistry and biological molecules.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is special about carbon compared to other elements? One of the distinguishing characteristics of carbon is its tetravalency; carbon can form four covalent bonds with other atoms. This property allows carbon atoms to bond reasonably strongly with each other and with atoms of other elements, which is central to its ability to create a vast number of molecules ranging in size and complexity.
Carbon is unique among the other elements in that its atoms can form stable covalent bonds in many variations. The molecules that result can range from simple to incredibly complex structures, containing from one to millions of carbon atoms. These structures make up the diverse field of organic chemistry and include vital biological molecules found in living organisms.
The structural properties of carbon compounds and the element's ability to form different types of bonds (single, double, and triple) contribute to its fundamental role in biology and the vast diversity of organic compounds, exemplified by the existence of over twenty million known carbon compounds such as hydrocarbons, like methane.