Question

In methane, the valency of carbon is:

Answer 1

Hint :To answer this question, we first need to understand what is valency. The valency of an atom refers to its ability to combine with other atoms. The valency of an element determines the number of bonds that an atom can make as part of a complex. We're all familiar with the way electrons in an atom are organized into shells or orbitals. The electrons that are present in the atom's outermost orbit are known as valence electrons.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Methane - Methane is a gas found in trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere. The simplest hydrocarbon is methane, which is made up of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas.
Methane is a combustible gas that is utilized as a fuel all over the world. Natural gas contains a significant amount of it. When methane is burned in the presence of oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor are produced.
Despite its low abundance in the atmosphere, methane is an important greenhouse gas due to its high heat absorption capacity. Since 1750, the amount of methane in our atmosphere has increased by around 150 percent, owing mostly to human activity. Methane is responsible for roughly 20% of the total heating impacts of all greenhouse gases. Methane enters the atmosphere from both natural and anthropogenic sources.
Valency of carbon - Carbon has a valency of four, and one atom of carbon may form four covalent connections. The branch of organic chemistry that deals with carbon compounds is called organic chemistry. Carbon has established its relevance among the other elements as a result of its unique features.
So, we conclude that the valency of carbon in methane is 4.

Note :
Valence is important because when two atoms react, their outer shells come into touch first, and it is the outer shell electron that is usually engaged in a chemical reaction. In a chemical reaction, atoms exchange valence electrons to stabilize their valence shell.