How can the chemical formula for methane (CH4) be explained if carbon has two paired and two unpaired electrons?

-The carbon atom is extremely reactive and emits an electron from its s orbital in order to bond with four different hydrogen atoms.
-The carbon atom becomes excited and pairs the electrons in the p orbital, which creates two unfilled orbitals available to accept one electron from four different hydrogen atoms.
-The hydrogen atom promotes an electron from the s orbital into the p orbital, allowing it to bond with the carbon atom and another hydrogen atom.
-The carbon atom promotes one electron from the s orbital into the p orbital, which creates four half-filled orbitals available to accept one electron from four different hydrogen atoms.

In order to form four bonds with the 4 H atoms in CH4, we need 4 unpaired electrons. These are created when an electron from the 2s orbital gets promoted to the 2p orbital. This results in the mixing of the 2s and 2p ( three 2p orbitals) forming 4-sp3 hybrid orbitals on the C atom. Each of the four hybrid orbitals then go on to form a sigma bond with each of the four 1s orbital of the H atom.

Ans: (d) The carbon atom promotes one electron from the s orbital into the p orbital, which creates four half-filled orbitals available to accept one electron from four different hydrogen atoms.