CH₄ Lewis Structure (Methane)
Methane (CH₄) has 8 valence electrons, four C–H single bonds, and no lone pairs on carbon. Both its electron geometry and molecular geometry are tetrahedral, with bond angles of approximately 109.5°. CH₄ is nonpolar.
Lewis Structure
Four C–H single bonds. No lone pairs on C.
Molecular Geometry
Tetrahedral shape · 109.5° · AX₄
| Total valence electrons | 8 |
|---|---|
| Central atom | Carbon (C) |
| Bonds | Four C–H single bonds |
| Lone pairs on C | 0 |
| Electron geometry | Tetrahedral |
| Molecular geometry | Tetrahedral |
| VSEPR | AX₄ |
| Bond angle | 109.5° |
| Polarity | Nonpolar |
| C hybridization | sp³ |
| Formal charges | 0 on every atom |
How to Draw the CH₄ Lewis Structure
Draw the Lewis structure of methane step by step. Count the valence electrons, put carbon in the center, connect four hydrogens with single bonds, then confirm that every electron is used and every formal charge is zero.
Step 1Count the valence electrons
Carbon brings 4 valence electrons and each hydrogen brings 1. With four hydrogens that is 4 + 4(1) = 8 electrons to place — and CH₄ is neutral, so there is no charge to add or remove. Every valid Lewis drawing of methane must use all 8.
Atom Count Valence e⁻ Total C 1 4 4 H 4 1 4 Total 8 Step 2Choose the central atom
Hydrogen can form only one bond, so it is never the central atom. Carbon sits in the middle with the four hydrogens attached around it.
Step 3Connect four hydrogen atoms
Connect each hydrogen to carbon with a single bond. Those four C–H bonds use 4 × 2 = 8 bonding electrons — every valence electron in methane. Nothing is left over for lone pairs or multiple bonds.
Step 4Check lone pairs
All 8 electrons went into the four C–H single bonds. Carbon has no lone pairs, and each hydrogen has only the two electrons in its bond (the duet). There is nothing left to place as dots on carbon.
Step 5Verify octets and formal charges
Carbon has an octet from four single bonds. Each hydrogen has its duet. Formal charge is 0 on every atom (C: 4 − 0 − ½(8) = 0; each H: 1 − 0 − ½(2) = 0). The finished structure is CH₄ with four equivalent C–H single bonds and no lone pairs on carbon.
- Lewis structure complete — all 8 valence electrons placed
- Carbon octet satisfied (4 bonds, no lone pairs)
- Hydrogen duet satisfied on all four H atoms
- Formal charges 0 on C and every H
CH₄ Valence Electrons
Carbon contributes 4 valence electrons. The 4 hydrogen atoms contribute 4 × 1 = 4 valence electrons. Added together, CH₄ starts with 8 valence electrons to place, and as a neutral molecule there is no charge to add or remove. Of those, 8 fill the bonds with none left as lone pairs.
| carbon: 4 valence electrons |
| 4 × hydrogen: 4 × 1 = 4 |
| Total: 4 + 4 = 8 |
CH₄ Molecular Geometry
| Electron geometry | Tetrahedral |
|---|---|
| Molecular geometry / shape | Tetrahedral |
| VSEPR notation | AX₄ |
| Bond angle | 109.5° |
On the central carbon, count electron domains the VSEPR way: each bonded neighbor is one domain (a double or triple bond still counts as one), and each lone pair is one more. CH₄ has 4 bonding domains and no lone pairs (AX₄), for 4 electron domains in total.
Those domains arrange to minimize repulsion around the carbon, so the molecule is tetrahedral with a bond angle of 109.5°. With no lone pairs on the central atom, the electron geometry and the molecular geometry are the same: both tetrahedral.
In VSEPR terms CH₄ is AX₄: carbon is the central atom, and the four C–H bonds are four bonding domains, with no lone pairs on carbon. Four domains need about 109.5° of space, so both the electron geometry and the molecular geometry are tetrahedral. The H–C–H angle is approximately 109.5°. CH₄ is not square planar and not trigonal planar — those shapes belong to different domain counts. The same four-domain count appears next to ammonia and water: CH₄ is AX₄ with no lone pairs (tetrahedral), NH₃ is AX₃E with one lone pair (trigonal pyramidal), and H₂O is AX₂E₂ with two lone pairs (bent). Lone pairs change the molecular shape name; they do not change the four-domain electron geometry.
Why Is CH₄ Tetrahedral?
Why is CH₄ tetrahedral rather than a flat cross on the page? Four bonding domains surround carbon and none are lone pairs. Those four domains repel equally and settle at the corners of a tetrahedron, about 109.5° apart. A square-planar layout would force opposite H–C–H angles to 180° and leave unused space above and below the plane; a trigonal planar layout only fits three domains. Because every domain is a bond to hydrogen, the electron geometry and the molecular geometry are the same: both tetrahedral.
CH₄ Bond Angle
The H–C–H bond angle is approximately 109.5°. That is the ideal tetrahedral angle: four equal bonding pairs and no lone pairs on carbon, so nothing compresses the angle the way a lone pair does in NH₃ (~107°) or H₂O (~104.5°). For four electron domains with no lone pairs, 109.5° is the angle general chemistry uses for methane.
| CH₄ | 109.5° |
|---|---|
| NH₃ | ≈107° |
| H₂O | ≈104.5° |
Is CH₄ Polar or Nonpolar?
CH₄ is nonpolar.
CH₄ is nonpolar. Although individual C–H bonds have a small bond dipole, the four bonds are arranged symmetrically in a tetrahedral shape, so the bond dipoles cancel.
Carbon (electronegativity 2.55) is slightly more electronegative than hydrogen (2.20), so each C–H bond has a small dipole pointing toward carbon (δ− on C, δ+ on each H). Bond polarity alone does not decide the molecule. Because CH₄ is tetrahedral (AX₄) with four identical C–H bonds and no lone pairs on carbon, those four equal dipoles cancel in three dimensions and the net molecular dipole is zero.
CO₂ is also nonpolar, but for a different reason: it is linear (AX₂) with two equal C=O dipoles pointing opposite ways. NH₃ has four electron domains around the central atom like methane, yet one domain is a lone pair (AX₃E), so ammonia is trigonal pyramidal and polar. Same four-domain count, different shape and polarity — methane has no lone pair.
Four equal C–H bond dipoles point toward C. The tetrahedral shape cancels them completely — net dipole 0.
CH₄ Hybridization
Carbon in CH₄ is sp³-hybridized.
Carbon in CH₄ is sp³-hybridized: four C–H bonds and no lone pairs give four electron domains. One 2s and three 2p orbitals mix into four equivalent sp³ hybrids that point toward the corners of a tetrahedron. Each hybrid forms a σ bond to hydrogen. Methane has no π bonds — every C–H link is a single σ bond — which fits the tetrahedral geometry and the 109.5° bond angle.
CH₄ Lewis Structure Summary
| Chemical name | Methane |
|---|---|
| Total valence electrons | 8 |
| Central atom | Carbon |
| Bond type | Four C–H single bonds |
| Lone pairs on carbon | 0 |
| Lone pairs on outer atoms | 0 |
| Electron geometry | Tetrahedral |
| Molecular geometry | Tetrahedral |
| VSEPR | AX₄ |
| Bond angle | 109.5° |
| Hybridization | sp³ |
| Polarity | Nonpolar |
| Formal charge | 0 on every atom |
| Resonance | No |
| Overall charge | 0 |
Try Another Lewis Structure
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Related Lewis Structures
Common next structures from general chemistry — each link opens that molecule so you can compare geometry, polarity, or the drawing steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lewis structure of CH4?
The Lewis structure of CH₄ places carbon in the center with four C–H single bonds and no lone pairs on carbon. It uses all 8 valence electrons. Each hydrogen satisfies the duet rule, carbon satisfies the octet rule, and every formal charge is 0.
How many valence electrons does CH4 have?
CH₄ has 8 valence electrons: 4 from carbon and 1 from each hydrogen (4 × 1 = 4). All eight fill the four C–H single bonds; none remain as lone pairs.
Does CH4 have lone pairs?
No. CH₄ has no lone pairs on carbon. All 8 valence electrons are used in the four C–H single bonds, which is why both the electron geometry and the molecular geometry are tetrahedral.
What is the molecular geometry of CH4?
CH₄ has a tetrahedral molecular geometry. Carbon has four bonding domains and no lone pairs (VSEPR AX₄), so the electron geometry and the molecular shape are both tetrahedral with an H–C–H angle of about 109.5°.
What is the bond angle of CH4?
The H–C–H bond angle is approximately 109.5°. That is the ideal tetrahedral angle for four equal bonding pairs with no lone pairs on the central atom.
Is CH4 polar or nonpolar?
CH₄ is nonpolar. Individual C–H bonds have a small bond dipole, but the four bonds sit symmetrically in a tetrahedral AX₄ shape, so the dipoles cancel and the net molecular dipole is zero.
What is the hybridization of carbon in CH4?
Carbon in CH₄ is sp³-hybridized. Four electron domains (four C–H bonds) mix one s and three p orbitals into four sp³ hybrids; each forms a σ bond to hydrogen.
Does CH4 have resonance structures?
No. CH₄ is drawn with four C–H single bonds and no lone pairs on carbon, and every formal charge is 0. Methane has no significant resonance structures.