Final answer:
The bonds between carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) in methane are considered nonpolar covalent bonds because the atoms have similar electronegativity values, leading to fairly equal sharing of electrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
If atoms have similar electronegativities, the bonds they form are generally considered nonpolar covalent. A prime example of this is the bond found in methane (CH4), where the carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) atoms share electrons fairly equally due to their similar electronegativity values.
Despite not being identical, the electronegativity difference between carbon and hydrogen is small enough that it does not lead to significant polarity in the bond.
Thus, the bonds between C and H in methane are nonpolar covalent bonds. On a scale, a bond is considered polar covalent when the electronegativity difference is between 0.5 and 2.0, while those with differences less than 0.5 are usually considered nonpolar.
In chemistry, if two atoms have similar electronegativity, the bond between them is considered nonpolar. In the case of bonds between carbon (C) and hydrogen (H), since both atoms have similar electronegativities, the C-H bonds are nonpolar covalent bonds.