Alkane
a hydrocarbon containing only single covalent bonds
Alkanes are a family of hydrocarbons – molecules that consist of hydrogen and carbon atoms only. The chemical formula of an alkane is CnH2n+2, where n represents the number of carbon atoms present in the molecule, and 2n+2 represents the number of hydrogen atoms present in the molecule.
Examples of alkanes include methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10), pentane (C5H12), and so on.
Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, which means that they have only single bonds between their carbon atoms. This makes the molecules stable and unreactive, which is why they are often used as solvents and fuels.
The boiling points of alkanes increase with increasing number of carbon atoms. This is because the larger molecules have stronger intermolecular forces and require more energy to break apart. Additionally, branched alkanes have slightly lower boiling points than their straight-chain counterparts because they have a more compact shape, which reduces the strength of their intermolecular forces.
In summary, alkanes are a fundamental group of hydrocarbons with a simple chemical structure, high stability, and unreactivity. They are widely used as solvents and fuels in industries all around the world.
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