Question

Methane (CH4) is a gas that is found in small quantities in Earth’s atmosphere. Which type of bonds does methane have, and why does one carbon atom bond with four hydrogen atoms? In three to five sentences, explain your answer in terms of valence electrons and electronegativity.

Answer 1

For example, in methane (CH 4​start subscript, 4, end subscript), carbon forms covalent bonds with four hydrogen atoms. Each bond corresponds to a pair of shared electrons (one from carbon and one from hydrogen), giving carbon the eight electrons it needs for a full outer shell.

Answer 2

Answer:

In addition to the above...

Explanation:

Since the electronegativity difference between Carbon and Hydrogen is 0.4, it tends to have a covalent bond.

C: 2.5  H: 2.1

2.5 - 2.1 = 0.4