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Hydrogens in the chemical formula below?*

CH_4
A) 4 Carbons, 4 Hydrogens
B) 1 Carbon, 4 Hydrogens
C) 0 Carbons, 4 Hydrogens

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The chemical formula CH4 represents methane, which consists of 1 carbon atom and 4 hydrogen atoms, thus the correct answer is B) 1 Carbon, 4 Hydrogens. Methane's molecular structure is tetrahedral due to sp3 hybridization.

Step-by-step explanation:

The chemical formula CH4 represents methane, which contains one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is B) 1 Carbon, 4 Hydrogens. This chemical compound is a simple hydrocarbon where four hydrogen atoms are bonded to a single carbon atom. The carbon atom in methane exhibits sp3 hybridization, forming four equivalent bonds with the hydrogen atoms and resulting in a tetrahedral structure for the molecule.

It is important to understand that the subscripts in a molecular formula indicate the number of each type of atom present in the molecule. Therefore, CH4 means there is 1 carbon (C) and 4 hydrogens (H). Additionally, balancing chemical equations requires knowledge of coefficients and subscripts to ensure the conservation of mass and atoms of each element involved in the reaction. In this case, the molecular formula already shows the molecule's composition correctly, and no balancing is required.

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