171k views
3 votes
How many areas of electron density are there in CH₄

what is the electron geometry for four areas of electron density

1 Answer

4 votes

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.

User Fruny
by
7.1k points

No related questions found

Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.