James Tung 2P2/27

Methane CH4

It is made of 1 Carbon atom and 4 Hydrogen atom

Chemical Bonding

It is a Covalent bond

Harmful Effects

Methane has a few harmful effects. Firstly, when breathed in high concentrations, which is above 5%, it causes oxygen deprivation. Here are the different effects when different percentages of oxygen are displaced by methane.

-          12-16% - breathing and pulse rate are increased, with slight muscular in coordination

-          10-14% - emotional upsets, abnormal fatigue from exertion, disturbed respiration

-          6-10% - nausea and vomiting, inability to move freely, collapse, possible lack of consciousness

-          Below 6% - convulsive movements, gasping, possible respiratory collapse and death

Since exercise increases the body's need for oxygen, symptoms will occur more quickly during exertion in an oxygen-deficient environment. Survivors of oxygen deprivation may show damage to some or all organs including the central nervous system and the brain. These effects may or may not be reversible with time, depending on the degree and duration of the low oxygen and the amount of tissue injury.

Methane gas can also be a fire hazard as it is extremely flammable and may form explosives mixture with air. Furthermore, Methane is also a greenhouse gas. It has 25 times the effect of global warming than compared to carbon dioxide of the same mass over the past 100 years. Thus, Methane, especially Arctic methane release which is Methane released from seas and soils permafrost regions of the Arctic, is one of the gases that causes global warming, a huge problem in the current society.

Constituent Elements

Carbon

Carbon, with C as its symbol, is an element in the 2^nd Period and Group IV. It has 6 Protons, Neutrons and Electrons. There are three naturally occurring isotopes for Carbon, with C12 and C13 being stable, while C14 is radioactive. There are several allotropes, which is types of carbon of which the best known are graphite, diamond, and amorphous carbon. The physical properties of carbon vary widely with the allotropic form. For example, diamond is highly transparent, while graphite is opaque and black. Diamond is among the hardest materials known, while graphite is soft enough to form a streak on paper. Diamond has a very low electrical conductivity, while graphite is a very good conductor. Under normal conditions, diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of all known materials. All the allotropic forms are solids under normal conditions but graphite is the most thermodynamically stable. Carbon is the fourth most abundant chemical element in the universe by mass after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. Carbon is abundant in the Sun, stars, comets, and in the atmospheres of most planets.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen, with the symbol H, is an element in the 1^st Period and is the simplest of all elements. It has only 1 Proton, 1 Electron, and no Neutrons. It is also the lightest and most abundant of all elements, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe’s chemical element masses. Hydrogen gas is highly flammable and will burn in air at a very wide range of concentrations between 4% and 75% by volume. Hydrogen gas forms explosive mixtures with air if it is 4–74% concentrated and with chlorine if it is 5–95% concentrated. The mixtures spontaneously explode by spark, heat or sunlight. Because hydrogen is buoyant in air, hydrogen flames tend to ascend rapidly and cause less damage than hydrocarbon fires.

Formation

Methane is formed when 1 Carbon atom and 4 Hydrogen atoms share valence electrons to form a covalent bond.  As Carbon has 6 electrons, its full electric configuration would be 2.4. Thus, it requires 4 more electrons to complete its outer shell. Hydrogen has 1 electron, thus requires 1 more electron to complete its outer shell. Hence, the Hydrogen atoms share its electron with the Carbon atom, completing both outer shells. There is a large amount of methane in the ocean floors. The Earth's crust contains huge amounts of methane. Other sources include mud volcanoes, which are connected with deep geological faults, landfill, and livestock from enteric fermentation. Methane also largely come from animals waste. 

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