Carbon atoms are the foundation of many of life's building blocks. carbon is able to form a wide variety of different compounds because it ? ? pls ! i think it's 2 1) can bond with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur. 2) can form bonds in up to four different directions. 3) is the central atom in carbon dioxide, a molecule used by all organisms. 4) can participate in ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonds.