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Properties of Alkanes

Last updated

Jan 23, 2023
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- Index
- Front Matter

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Alkanes are the simplest family of hydrocarbons - compounds containing carbon and hydrogen only with only carbon-hydrogen bonds and carbon-carbon single bonds. Alkanes are not very reactive and have little biological activity; all alkanes are colorless and odorless.

Topic hierarchy

Alkanes Background
This is an introductory page about alkanes, such as methane, ethane, propane, butane and the remainder of the common alkanes. This page addresses their formulae and isomerism, their physical properties, and an introduction to their chemical reactivity.
Chemical Properties of Alkanes
Alkanes are not very reactive when compared with other chemical species. This is because the backbone carbon atoms in alkanes have attained their octet of electrons through forming four covalent bonds (the maximum allowed number of bonds under the octet rule; which is why carbon's valence number is 4). These four bonds formed by carbon in alkanes are sigma bonds.
Cycloalkanes
Cycloalkanes are cyclic hydrocarbons with the carbon atoms of the molecule are arranged in one or more rings. Cycloalkanes are also saturated, meaning that all of the carbons atoms that make up the ring are single bonded to other atoms (no double or triple bonds).
Physical Properties of Alkanes
Alkanes are not very reactive and have little biological activity; all alkanes are colorless and odorless.
Straight-Chain and Branched Alkanes
Substances consisting entirely of single-bonded carbon and hydrogen atoms and lacking functional groups are called alkanes. There are three basic types of structures that classify the alkanes: (1) linear straight-chain alkanes, (2) branched alkanes, and (3) cycloalkanes.

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