Alkane
A hydrocarbon with only single bonds between carbon atoms. The general formula is CnH2n+2. Alkanes are saturated.
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Analogy
Alkanes are chains where every carbon holds as many hydrogens as it can.
Example
Methane CH4 (1 carbon)Ethane C2H6 (2 carbons)Propane C3H8 (3)Butane C4H10 (4)
In practice
Methane, ethane, propane and butane are the first four alkanes.
Practice
Flashcards
- What is the general formula for alkanes?CnH2n+2.
Questions people ask
What does saturated mean?
A saturated hydrocarbon has only single bonds, so each carbon is bonded to as many hydrogens as possible. It holds the maximum number of hydrogen atoms. Alkanes are saturated. They are relatively unreactive, apart from burning, because there are no double bonds to open up.
How do you name the alkanes?
The name starts with a part showing how many carbons: meth for 1, eth for 2, prop for 3 and but for 4. Then add -ane. So methane has 1 carbon, ethane 2, propane 3 and butane 4. Longer chains use pent, hex, hept and oct.