Grade 10Organic Chemistry
Bond angle in methane is 109?28? since the carbon atom is sp3 hybridised and all
the H atoms form the vertices of a regular tetrahedral. We ask you to provide a
convincing semi-mathematical reason based on geometry &/or energy arguments
as to why the bond angle is 109?28?& the methane molecule 3-dimensional instead
of the bond angle being a right angle which may have been possible if the methane
molecule was planar and the 4 H atoms were at the vertices of a square with C atom
at the center.
Bond angle in methane is 109?28? since the carbon atom is sp3 hybridised and all
the H atoms form the vertices of a regular tetrahedral. We ask you to provide a
convincing semi-mathematical reason based on geometry &/or energy arguments
as to why the bond angle is 109?28?& the methane molecule 3-dimensional instead
of the bond angle being a right angle which may have been possible if the methane
molecule was planar and the 4 H atoms were at the vertices of a square with C atom
at the center.
