Question

The geometry of methane molecule is:
(A) Tetrahedral
(B) Pyramidal
(C) Octahedral
(D) Square planar

Answer 1

Hint :To answer this question, we need to understand the concept of geometry of carbon-based organic compounds. Geometry is based on the concept of hybridization of atoms.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Methane is a saturated hydrocarbon and it contains only single bonds. A molecule of methane has a single carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. The geometry of the methane molecule is tetrahedral. It exhibits sp3 hybridization where a carbon atom is at the center and four hydrogen atoms are at the four corners. The bond length is about 109 pm and the angle between two hydrogen atoms in the arrangement is about 109.5 degrees. The methane molecule has a molecular weight of 16.04.

Hence, the correct option is (a).

Note :
Methane is a principal component of natural gas. When a single molecule of methane is burned in the presence of oxygen it releases one molecule of $CO_2$ (carbon dioxide) and two molecules of $H_2O$ (water). The strength of the carbon hydrogen covalent bond in methane is among the strongest in all hydrocarbons. Pure methane is odorless, but when used as a fuel it is usually mixed with small quantities of strongly-smelling sulfur compounds such as ethyl mercaptan to enable the detection of leaks.