CH₄
Compound · Organic
Methane
甲烷
Methane (甲烷), formula CH₄, is a organic with a molar mass of 16.04 g/mol (CAS 74-82-8). Colourless odourless gas (main component of natural gas); very poorly soluble in water.
Key facts
| Molar mass | 16.04 g/mol |
|---|---|
| Category | Organic |
| State at 25°C | Gas |
| CAS | 74-82-8 |
Structure
C(–H)₄
Regular tetrahedron, 109.5° angles, non-polar
Physical properties
| Appearance | Colourless odourless gas (main component of natural gas) |
|---|---|
| Melting point | −182 °C |
| Boiling point | −162 °C |
| Density | 0.72 g/L (气体) |
| Solubility | Very poorly soluble in water |
Key reactions
CH₄ + 2O₂ →(点燃) CO₂ + 2H₂O
Complete combustion — natural-gas energy
CH₄ + Cl₂ →(光照) CH₃Cl + HCl
Photochemical substitution with chlorine
Main uses
- Domestic and industrial fuel
- Feedstock for hydrogen and syngas
- Making methanol, carbon black, etc.
Hazard
ModerateHighly flammable and explosive; high levels cause asphyxiation
Constituent elements
Data sources
Molar mass is computed from IUPAC (CIAAW) standard atomic weights; formula, properties and reactions can be verified on PubChem, NIST and Wikipedia. The CAS number is the substance's unique registry identifier. Educational reference only.