Methane
CH416.043 g/mol Calculated
Also called marsh gas, methyl hydride, tetrahydridocarbon and Carbane.
Natural gas: one carbon, four hydrogens, the simplest organic molecule there is. Cows and wetlands make it too, and it is a potent greenhouse gas.
Sources and notes
- The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Other namesfrom sourceWikidataIts English label and aliases on Wikidata.
- Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
- 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
- 3D modelfrom sourcePubChem 3D conformerLoaded after the page has painted, and on a phone only when you ask for it; the 2D drawing shows until it arrives.
Where you encounter it
Methane on our curated lists.
Household
Fuel and flameNaturally present
Sources and notes
- Our curated lists and their amountsfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach amount is an editorial figure from our food and drink lists, not a measurement of any one product.
- How it gets therefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach mark is set by hand on our lists, never inferred; a label's ingredient is added by the maker. A row with no mark data says Not marked.
Compare a related molecule
Methane
Propane
Methane must be piped as a gas because it only liquefies near minus 162 degrees Celsius, while propane liquefies under modest pressure and can be bottled.
Methane vs Propane, side by sideSources and notes
- The sentencefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKitThe two drawings side by side.
Properties and sources
Calculated by PubChem
- Molecular formula
- CH4
- Molecular weight
- 16.043 g/mol
- XLogP3octanol/water, log units
- 0.6
- Polar surface areatopological
- 0 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 0
- H-bond acceptors
- 0
- Rotatable bonds
- 0
- Complexity
- 0
Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem
Danger Flammable pictogram (GHS02) and Compressed gas pictogram (GHS04); hazard statements H220, H280, H281
Groups it belongs to
- Category
- Everyday chemistry
- Family
- Alkanes
- Product lists
- Fuel and flame
- Hazard classes
- Flammable, Compressed gas, GHS Danger
- Size
- Under 100 g/mol
Questions
- What is Methane?
- Natural gas: one carbon, four hydrogens, the simplest organic molecule there is. Cows and wetlands make it too, and it is a potent greenhouse gas.
- Where is Methane found?
- Methane is in these product groups: fuel and flame. from source
- How toxic is Methane?
- Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Danger and the hazard pictograms Flammable and Compressed gas. from source
- What kind of molecule is Methane?
- Methane has the formula CH4 and a molecular weight of 16.043 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under alkanes, in the everyday chemistry group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
- What else is Methane called?
- Methane is also called marsh gas, methyl hydride, tetrahydridocarbon and Carbane. from source
Sources and notes
- Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChemThe label combines these classifications.
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09
Keep exploring
Sources and notes
- Compared side by sidefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesA molecule we compare it with on its own page.
- The drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKit