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  • Apart from tetrahedral geometry , another possible geometry for CH_4 is square planar with the four H atoms at the corners of the square and the C atom at its centre.

4.21     Apart from tetrahedral geometry, another possible geometry for CH_{4}  is square planar with the four H atoms at the corners of the square and the C atom at its centre. Explain why CH_{4} is not square planar ?

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The electronic configuration of carbon atom is C: 1s^22s^22p^2.

Where it has s-orbital, p-orbital only and there is no d-orbital present.

Hence the carbon atom undergoes sp^3 hybridization in methane molecule and takes a tetrahedral shape.

And for a molecule to have a square planar structure it must have d orbital present.

But here the absence of d-orbital, as a result, it does not undergo dsp^2 hybridization, the structure of methane cannot be square planar.

Also the reason that bond angle in square planar 90^{\circ} which makes the molecule more unstable because of repulsion between the bond pairs.

Hence according to VSEPR theory CH_{4} molecule take a tetrahedral structure.

Posted by

Divya Prakash Singh

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