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Carbon has 4 electrons in its outer shell, but needs 8 to be stable. Hydrogen has just 1 electron but needs 2 to be stable (the first shell of any element contains only 2 electrons, and hydrogen has only one shell). Therefore, the hydrogen atoms in methane, CH4, are presumed to surround the carbon atom so that they can each share one of the carbon electrons, while sharing their 1 electron each with the carbon atom. This, in effect, satisfies the needs of the carbon atom and the hydrogen atom, through sharing of electrons.

To simplify this, carbon borrows the 4 hydrogen electrons while lending its 4 electrons, and vice versa.

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