CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
  • Percentage By Mass: Carbon 75%, Hydrogen 25%
  •  Percentage By Number: Carbon 20%, Hydrogen 80%
  •  Methane is a molecule using electrostatic covalent bonding.  The positively charged nucleus of the carbon atom is attracted to the negatively charged hydrogen electrons.  The same attraction occurs between the nuclei of the hydrogen atoms and the carbon electrons.  The type of bonding is single bonding. 
  •  Methane combusts with oxygen in the following reaction:

CH4(g) + 2O2(g) à CO2(g) + 2H2O(g)

  •  The combustion of methane is relatively clean burning
  •  Methane is lighter than air

 

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