| Subject classification: this is a chemistry resource. | | Completion status: this resource is a stub, which means that pretty much nothing has been done yet. | | Educational level: this is a research resource. | | Type classification: this is an article resource. | ## Contents * 1 Discovery * 2 Properties * 3 Quick Facts * 4 Reference * 5 See Also ## Discovery[edit | edit source] Methane was first synthesized from carbon and hydrogen in 1904 by a Russian-American chemist, Vladimir Ipatiev (1867-1952).[1] ## Properties[edit | edit source] Methane is the major component of natural gas, about 87% by volume. At room temperature and standard pressure, methane is a colorless, odorless gas;[2] the smell characteristic of natural gas as used in homes is an artificial safety measure caused by the addition of an odorant, often methanethiol]] or ethanethiol. Methane has a boiling point of −161 °C (−257.8 °F) at a pressure of one Atmosphere (unit)|atmosphere.[3] As a gas it is flammable only over a narrow range of concentrations (5–15%) in air. Liquid methane does not burn unless subjected to high pressure (normally 4–5 atmospheres).[4] ## Quick Facts[edit | edit source] Name: Methane Formula: CH4 Melting Point: Boiling Point: -161.6 celsius Appearance: Molar Mass: Shape: tetrahedryl ## Reference[edit | edit source] 1. ↑ [1] 2. ↑ David A. Hensher, Kenneth J. Button (2003). Handbook of transport and the environment. Emerald Group Publishing. p. 168. ISBN 0080441033. http://books.google.com/books?id=yp3qEgHrsJ4C&pg=PA168. 3. ↑ NIST Chemistry Webbook 4. ↑ Ayhan Demirbas (2010). Methane Gas Hydrate. Springer. p. 102. ISBN 1848828713. http://books.google.com/books?id=WFefWAq1Sh0C&pg=PA102. ## See Also[edit | edit source] * Methane on wikipedia