What is the geometry of methane as indicated by its Lewis structure?

The geometry of methane, as indicated by its Lewis structure, is tetrahedral. This is because methane (CH₄) has one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. When drawing the Lewis structure, the atoms are arranged to minimize electron pair repulsion according to VSEPR (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion) theory.

In methane, the carbon atom has four covalent bonds forming 109.5-degree angles between them. This arrangement results from the sp³ hybridization of the carbon atom, where one s orbital and three p orbitals combine to form four equivalent sp³ hybrid orbitals. Each of these orbitals forms a single bond with a hydrogen atom, leading to the tetrahedral shape.

The tetrahedral geometry is characteristic of any molecule where a central atom is bonded to four other atoms with no lone pairs of electrons affecting the shape. This distinguishes methane from structures like water or ammonia, which have bent and trigonal pyramidal geometries respectively due to the presence of lone pairs on the central atom.