The C-H bond is a covalent bond. This means that the carbon and hydrogen atoms share electrons to form a stable connection.
To understand why the C-H bond is covalent, we need to look at the electronegativity of both elements. Electronegativity is a measure of how strongly an atom attracts electrons in a bond. Carbon has an electronegativity of about 2.5, while hydrogen has an electronegativity of around 2.1. Because the difference in electronegativity between carbon and hydrogen is relatively small (only 0.4), the bond is classified as covalent rather than ionic.
In an ionic bond, one atom completely transfers its electrons to another atom, resulting in charged ions. However, in a covalent bond like that of C-H, the electrons are shared more equally. This sharing allows both the carbon and hydrogen atoms to achieve a more stable electron configuration, as they both seek to fill their outer electron shells.
In summary, the C-H bond is covalent due to the small difference in electronegativity and the nature of electron sharing between carbon and hydrogen.