Hydrocarbons, (alkane, alkenes, alkynes)

Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are the organic compounds that are made up of carbon and hydrogen only.

Sources of hydrocarbons:

Hydrocarbons are obtained from petroleum or crude oil. Natural gas present above the oil deposits also contains hydrocarbons. All these are obtained from underground oil deposits by drilling oil wells.

Types of hydrocarbon

Basically there are three types of hydrocarbons: alkanes, alkenes, alkynes. These three hydrocarbons are grouped as saturated and unsaturated.

1.      Saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes)

2.      Unsaturated hydrocarbons (alkenes or alkynes)

Saturated hydrocarbons:

(Alkanes)

1.      Hydrocarbons in which carbon atoms are connected to each other by single covalent bonds are called saturated hydrocarbons.

2.      Name of these hydrocarbon end with “ane”.

3.      General formula of alkane is C_nH_2n+2.

4.      Single covalent bond is formed by sharing of one electron pair (two electrons) between two carbon atoms.

5.      The saturated hydrocarbons are very unreactive.

 Unsaturated hydrocarbon

(Alkenes and alkynes)

Hydrocarbons in which carbon atoms are connected to each other by double bond or triple bond are called unsaturated hydrocarbons.

Alkene

1.      Hydrocarbons in which carbon atoms are connected to each other by double bonds are called alkenes.

2.      Name of these hydrocarbon end with “ene”.

3.      General formula of alkane is C_nH_2n.

4.      Single covalent bond is formed by sharing of two electron pair (four electrons) between two carbon atoms.

5.      Simplest alkene is ethane. Its common name is ethylene.

Alkynes

1.      Hydrocarbons in which carbon atoms are connected to each other by triple bonds are called alkynes.

2.      Name of these hydrocarbon end with “yne”.

3.      General formula of alkyne is C_nH_2n-2.

4.      Single covalent bond is formed by sharing of three electron pair (six electrons) between two carbon atoms.

5.      Simplest alkyne is ethyne. Its common name is acetylene.

Alkyl Groups
The groups formed by the removal of one hydrogen atom from an alkane molecule is called an alkyl group.