Alkanes: Properties, Formula, and Industrial Applications

Alkanes

– First four alkanes are methane (CH4), Ethane (C2H6), Propane (C3H8), and Butane (C4H10)- single Bonded

Alkanes are a group of organic compounds that consist of carbon and hydrogen atoms only, that is, they are hydrocarbons. Alkanes are also known as saturated hydrocarbons because all of the carbon-carbon bonds in alkanes are single bonds. Because of the presence of only single bonds between carbon atoms, alkanes are considered to be the most stable hydrocarbons.

The general formula for alkanes is CnH2n+2, where n is the number of carbon atoms in the molecule. For example, methane (CH4) has one carbon atom, so the formula would be C1H2(1)+2 = CH4.

Properties of alkanes:
– Alkanes are generally nonpolar, which means that they do not dissolve in water but rather dissolve in nonpolar solvents like gasoline or oil.
– The boiling points of alkanes increase with increasing molecular weight as the strength of van der Waals forces between the molecules increases.
– Alkanes are relatively unreactive, but can undergo combustion reactions with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.

Uses of alkanes:
– Alkanes are used as fuels for energy production, such as gasoline for vehicles and natural gas for heating and cooking.
– Alkanes are also used as starting materials for the production of other chemicals, such as plastics and solvents.

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