Question

What is an alkane?

Short answer

An alkane is a hydrocarbon compound consisting entirely of single bonds and saturated with hydrogen. Its general formula is \(C_nH_{2n+2}\). Examples include methane, ethane, and propane.

Step-by-step solution

Define Alkanes

Alkanes, also known as paraffins, are hydrocarbon compounds that are made up entirely of single bonds and are saturated with hydrogen. This means they contain as many hydrogen atoms as possible.

General Formula

The general formula of alkanes is \(C_nH_{2n+2}\), which describes the relationship between the number of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) atoms. The 'n' represents the number of carbon atoms.

Examples

Examples of alkanes include methane (\(CH_4\)), ethane (\(C_2H_6\)), and propane (\(C_3H_8\))

Key concepts

Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are fascinating chemical compounds that form the basis of organic chemistry. These compounds consist primarily of two elements: carbon and hydrogen.
The beauty of hydrocarbons lies in their versatility. They can form vast and varied pathways in the realm of chemistry, resulting from the number of ways carbon and hydrogen can bond.

• Hydrocarbons can be classified into several categories, dependent on the type of carbon bonding they exhibit. Here, we look at alkanes, which are a type of hydrocarbon.
• The primary feature of alkanes is that they are only composed of single bonds between carbon atoms, leading to their classification as saturated hydrocarbons. This means every carbon atom is bonded to the maximum number of hydrogen atoms possible, filling all available valence electrons.

Understanding hydrocarbons is crucial, as they serve as a fundamental component in fuels, plastics, and even more complex biochemical substances.

Saturated compounds

When we refer to saturated compounds, we're essentially addressing the complete saturation of hydrogen around carbon in a hydrocarbon.
Alkanes hold a special place in this category due to their single covalent bonds. These allow each carbon atom to pair with as many hydrogen atoms as possible.

• Saturation here means absence of double or triple carbon bonds, unlike unsaturated compounds like alkenes or alkynes.
• This saturation with hydrogen gives alkanes a stable structure, making them generally less reactive compared to their unsaturated counterparts.
• Their saturated nature also allows for the typical tetrahedral geometry of carbon, which lets these compounds take up a wide range of simple to complex structures, from straight chains to complex branches.

For instance, in methane (\( CH_4 \)), the simplest alkane, one carbon atom is fully saturated with hydrogen atoms.

Chemical formula

The chemical formula of a compound offers insights into its composition, detailing the types and numbers of atoms present.
For alkanes, the chemical formula is succinctly captured by the general formula \[ C_nH_{2n+2} \].

• The letter 'n' in this formula represents the number of carbon atoms in the alkane. For every carbon atom present, one can compute the number of hydrogen atoms by inputting the value of 'n' into the general formula.
• This results in a systematic growth of the molecule, as adding more carbon atoms increases the count of hydrogen atoms predictably.
• Using the formula allows chemists to accurately and efficiently determine the structure of alkanes without needing to draw or visualize the entire molecular structure.From methane (\( C_1H_4 \)) to ethane (\( C_2H_6 \)) and beyond, this pattern continues.

This general formula simplifies the process of understanding and predicting the structures of countless alkanes in organic chemistry.