Methane, colourless odourless gas that occurs abundantly in nature and as a product of certain

human activities. Methane is the simplest member of the paraffin series of hydrocarbons and is
among the most potent of the greenhouse gases. Its chemical formula is CH4.

Methane
CHEMICAL COMPOUND

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ARTICLE CONTENTS

Methane, colourless odourless gas that occurs abundantly in nature and as a product of
certain human activities. Methane is the simplest member of the paraffin
series of hydrocarbons and is among the most potent of the greenhouse gases.
Its chemical formula is CH4.

Methane
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KEY PEOPLE

 Alessandro Volta
RELATED TOPICS

 Natural gas
 Greenhouse gas
 Biofuel
 Biogas
 Air
 Paraffin hydrocarbon
 Triphenylmethane

Chemical Properties Of Methane

Methane is lighter than air, having a specific gravity of 0.554. It is only slightly soluble
in water. It burns readily in air, forming carbon dioxide and water vapour; the flame is
pale, slightly luminous, and very hot. The boiling point of methane is −162 °C (−259.6 °F)
and the melting point is −182.5 °C (−296.5 °F). Methane in general is very stable, but
mixtures of methane and air, with the methane content between 5 and 14 percent by
volume, are explosive. Explosions of such mixtures have been frequent in coal mines
and collieries and have been the cause of many mine disasters.
 The tetrahedral structure of methane (CH4) is explained in the VSEPR (valence-shell-electron-pair
repulsion) theory of molecular shape by supposing that the four pairs of bonding electrons (represented by
the gray clouds) adopt positions that minimize their mutual repulsion.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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global warming: Methane

Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas. CH4…

 Sources Of Methane
In nature, methane is produced by the anaerobic bacterial decomposition of vegetable
matter under water (where it is sometimes called marsh gas or swamp
gas). Wetlands are the major natural source of methane produced in this way. Other
important natural sources of methane include termites (as a result of digestive
processes), volcanoes, vents in the ocean floor, and methane hydrate deposits that
occur along continental margins and beneath Antarctic ice and Arctic permafrost.
Methane also is the chief constituent of natural gas, which contains from 50 to 90 percent
methane (depending on the source), and occurs as a component of firedamp (flammable
gas) along coal

Methane
CHEMICAL COMPOUND

WRITTEN BY:

 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

See Article History

ARTICLE CONTENTS

Methane, colourless odourless gas that occurs abundantly in nature and as a product of
certain human activities. Methane is the simplest member of the paraffin
series of hydrocarbons and is among the most potent of the greenhouse gases.
Its chemical formula is CH4.

Methane
QUICK FACTS
 View Media Page

KEY PEOPLE

 Alessandro Volta
RELATED TOPICS

 Natural gas
 Greenhouse gas
 Biofuel
 Biogas
 Air
 Paraffin hydrocarbon
 Triphenylmethane

Chemical Properties Of Methane

Methane is lighter than air, having a specific gravity of 0.554. It is only slightly soluble
in water. It burns readily in air, forming carbon dioxide and water vapour; the flame is
pale, slightly luminous, and very hot. The boiling point of methane is −162 °C (−259.6 °F)
and the melting point is −182.5 °C (−296.5 °F). Methane in general is very stable, but
mixtures of methane and air, with the methane content between 5 and 14 percent by
volume, are explosive. Explosions of such mixtures have been frequent in coal mines
and collieries and have been the cause of many mine disasters.
 The tetrahedral structure of methane (CH4) is explained in the VSEPR (valence-shell-electron-pair
repulsion) theory of molecular shape by supposing that the four pairs of bonding electrons (represented by
the gray clouds) adopt positions that minimize their mutual repulsion.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

READ MORE ON THIS TOPIC

global warming: Methane

Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas. CH4…

Sources Of Methane
In nature, methane is produced by the anaerobic bacterial decomposition of vegetable
matter under water (where it is sometimes called marsh gas or swamp
gas). Wetlands are the major natural source of methane produced in this way. Other
important natural sources of methane include termites (as a result of digestive
processes), volcanoes, vents in the ocean floor, and methane hydrate deposits that
occur along continental margins and beneath Antarctic ice and Arctic permafrost.
Methane also is the chief constituent of natural gas, which contains from 50 to 90 percent
methane (depending on the source), and occurs as a component of firedamp (flammable
gas) along coal seams.



 atmospheric methaneLearn about the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas, by trees in wetland
ecosystems.© Open University (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

The tetrahedral geometry of methane: (A) stick-and-ball model and (B) showing bond angles and
distances. (Plain bonds represent bonds in the plane of the image; wedge and dashed bonds represent
those directed toward and away from the viewer, respectively.)Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The production and combustion of natural gas and coal are the
major anthropogenic (human-associated) sources of methane. Activities such as the
extraction and processing of natural gas and the destructive distillation of bituminous
coal in the manufacture of coal gas and coke-oven gas result in the release of significant
amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Other human activities that are associated
with methane production include biomass burning, livestock farming, and waste
management (where bacteria produce methane as they decompose sludge in waste-
treatment facilities and decaying matter in landfills).
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Uses Of Methane
Methane is an important source of hydrogen and some organic chemicals. Methane
reacts with steam at high temperatures to yield carbon monoxide and hydrogen; the latter
is used in the manufacture of ammonia for fertilizers and explosives. Other valuable
chemicals derived from methane include methanol, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and
nitromethane. The incomplete combustion of methane yields carbon black, which is
widely used as a reinforcing agent in rubber used for automobile tires.
Role As A Greenhouse Gas
Methane that is produced and released into the atmosphere is taken up by methane
sinks, which include soil and the process of methane oxidation in the troposphere (the
lowest atmospheric region). Most methane produced naturally is offset by its uptake into
natural sinks. Anthropogenic methane production, however, can cause methane
concentrations to increase more quickly than they are offset by sinks.