Which of the following best represents and explains the formula for a compound made from carbon and hydrogen?

Question

CH4, because four electron pairs are shared between carbon and hydrogen.
CH2, because two electron pairs are shared between carbon and hydrogen.
CH4, because each hydrogen contributes four electrons to the bonds.
CH2, because each carbon contributes two electrons to the bonds.

Answer 1

The best representation of a compound made from carbon and hydrogen is CH4, because four electron pairs are shared between carbon and hydrogen.

Here's the explanation:

• Carbon has four valence electrons and needs four more to fill its outer shell, allowing it to form four covalent bonds.
• Hydrogen has one valence electron and needs one more to fill its outer shell, allowing each hydrogen atom to form one covalent bond.
• In methane (CH4), one carbon atom shares its four valence electrons with four hydrogen atoms, leading to four single covalent bonds where each bond consists of a shared pair of electrons (one from carbon and one from each hydrogen).

Therefore, CH4 accurately represents a stable molecular compound of carbon and hydrogen, and the statement correctly explains the bonding in this compound.