CH4, commonly known as methane, is a covalent compound. This conclusion arises from the nature of the bonds formed between the carbon and hydrogen atoms within the molecule.
In CH4, carbon has four electrons in its outer shell and needs four more electrons to achieve a stable octet configuration. Each hydrogen atom has one electron and needs one more to also reach a stable state. To achieve this stability, carbon shares its four electrons with four hydrogen atoms, forming single covalent bonds.
In a covalent bond, atoms share electrons rather than transferring them as seen in ionic bonds. An ionic bond typically occurs between metals and non-metals, where one atom donates electrons to another, resulting in charged ions. Since both carbon and hydrogen are non-metals and form shared pairs of electrons, CH4 demonstrates characteristics of covalent bonding.
In summary, the sharing of electrons in CH4 indicates that it is a covalent compound, not an ionic one.