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

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Methane has covalent bonds between its carbon and hydrogen atoms. Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms. Carbon has 4 valence electrons and hydrogen has 1 valence electron, and both atoms are in need of completing their valence shells. Carbon, with an electronegativity of 2.55, is less electronegative than hydrogen (2.2), so it is more likely to donate its electrons and form bonds. Carbon forms 4 bonds with hydrogen to fulfill the octet rule and achieve stability by sharing all its valence electrons with hydrogen.