JAMB - Chemistry (2005 - No. 26)
The shape of the hydrocarbon compound CH\(_4\) is
square planar
planar
linear
tetrahedral
Paliwanag
Methane (CH\(_4\)) has a tetrahedral shape with four equivalent C-H bonds and bond angles of 109.5 degrees.
The tetrahedral shape of methane can be explained using the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory, which states that electron pairs around an atom will arrange themselves to minimize repulsion. The carbon atom in methane undergoes sp3 hybridization, meaning that it combines one s orbital and three p orbitals to form four equivalent sp3 hybrid orbitals.