Final answer:
In methane (CH4), there are four areas of electron density, forming four sp³ hybridized orbitals. The electron geometry for a molecule with four regions of electron density is tetrahedral. The methane molecule is shaped as a tetrahedron with carbon at the center connected to four hydrogen atoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
In methane (CH4), there are four areas of electron density around the central carbon atom. Each hydrogen atom contributes one electron to form a bond with one of the carbon's four valence electrons. This results in four bonding pairs of electrons which are distributed evenly around the carbon to minimize repulsion, a concept described by the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory.
The electron geometry for a molecule with four regions of electron density is tetrahedral. In the case of CH4, the carbon atom exhibits sp³ hybridization, and each of the hybrid orbitals overlaps with a hydrogen orbital to create a C-H bond. Therefore, the molecule has a tetrahedral shape, with the carbon atom at the center and the four hydrogen atoms at the vertices of the tetrahedron.