Imagine you’ve just poured a little olive oil into a glass of water. What happens? It floats, stubbornly refusing to blend. Methane is a bit like that oil—it’s a nonpolar molecule, and water is very polar. They’re like two people who speak entirely different languages.
Because of this personality clash, only a tiny amount of methane actually dissolves. At room temperature, you can only get about 0.0022 grams of methane to cozy up in 100 grams of water. That’s like trying to fit a single grain of rice into a bathtub—it’s there, but barely.
When the water gets colder, it’s a little more generous. Think of a cold lemonade on a hot day—it holds more fizz. Cold water can hold a smidge more methane, but trust me, it’s still a very grudging host.
