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5 votes
5 votes
explain how both hydrogen and carbon have achieved stability by bonding with each other to form methane ​

User Rajesh Wolf
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2 Answers

7 votes
7 votes

Each element tries to achieve stability by forming a noble gas configuration (2 or 8 valence electrons)

Carbon has 4 valence electrons, achieving stability requires 4 more electrons

Hydrogen has 1 valence electron, achieving stability requires 1 more electron

Carbon and hydrogen bond covalently by sharing their electrons so that they become stable (carbon binds 4 hydrogens) to form CH₄ (methane)

User Axk
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29 votes
29 votes

A carbon iota can bond with four other iotas and is just like the four-hole wheel, whereas an oxygen iota, which can bond only to two, is just like the two-hole wheel.

User Lardois
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