Does an atom want to give or take electrons when it has a shell half full? For example, carbon has 4 electrons in the outer shell and so its half full. Does it want to give electrons in a bond or take electrons, and if any atom has a half full electron shell does it want to take or give electrons for a covalent bond?
I'm new to chemistry so this question may be simple.
When it comes to elements like carbon and silicon, which have 4 valence shells, the maximum possibility is sharing of electrons to form covalent bonds, like in $\ce{CO2}$ or $\ce{CH4}$. However in carbides, like calcium carbide or tungsten carbide, it may gain electrons.