SATURATED HYDROCARBONS OR ALKANES

Alkanes belong to a group of organic substances known as Hydrocarbons called so since they are made of carbon and hydrogen only. Alkanes are called saturated hydrocarbons since besides carbon carbon single bonds, other valence are occupied by hydrogen atoms. Consequently they contain the maximum number of hydrogen atoms.

• Aliphatic alkanes and
• Cyclic alkanes or Cycloalkanes

Aliphatic alkanes form a group of linear and branched alkanes.

Cycloalkanes: Whose carbon atoms arranged in a ring or a cyclic structure.

OCCURENCE OF ALKANES

A large number of alkanes are from natural gases and petroleum (crude oil) whose origin is attributed to the fermentation of cellulose from decayed plants dead many years ago.

NOMENCLATURE OF ALKANES 

All alkanes respond to the general formula CnH2n+2 where ech member differ from the preceding one by one carbon and two hydrogens. Compound that differ in this way are said to form an homologous series. When an alkane molecule has a linear structure or unbranched chain is called normal alkane and is said to to have a normal structure and when it is branched, is called isostructure.

NOTE

• when a carbon atom is attached or linked to a unique atom of carbon, is called primary carbon.
• when it is linked to two other carbon atoms is called secondary carbon.
• when it is linked to three other carbon atoms is called tertiary carbon.
• Finally when a carbon atom is linked to four different carbon atoms is called quaternary carbon.