saturated hydrocarbon & unsaturated hydrocarbon: definition (alkane), formula, properties, difference

Hydrocarbons
A compound made up of hydrogen and carbon only is called hydrocarbon (hydrogen   +   carbon = hydrocarbon ).
Example of hydrocarbons are Methane (CH4), Ethane (C2H6), Ethene (C2H4), ethyne (C2H2).



The most important natural source of Hydrocarbons is petroleum or crude oil.
Types of hydrocarbons: saturated hydrocarbons and unsaturated hydrocarbons.
(1) Saturated Hydrocarbons (alkanes):
A hydrocarbon in which the carbon atoms are connected by only single bond is called a saturated hydrocarbon.
Saturated hydrocarbons are also called alkanes.
Example of saturated hydrocarbons or alkanes: Methane, Ethane, propane ,butane. (The names of all these saturated hydrocarbons and with 'ane').
Structural formula of hydrocarbons:
Structural formula of Methane


Structural formula of Ethane


Structural formula of propane


Structural formula of butane


The general formula of saturated hydrocarbons are alkanes is CnH2n+2, where n is the number of carbon atoms in one molecule of the alkene.

(2) unsaturated hydrocarbons (alkenes and alkynes):
What are unsaturated hydrocarbons:
Definition: A hydrocarbon in which the two carbon atoms are connected by a double bond or triple bond is called an unsaturated hydrocarbon.
Example of unsaturated hydrocarbons are ethene, ethyne. (ethene contains double bond and ethyne contain triple bond).
Types of unsaturated hydrocarbons:
Unsaturated hydrocarbons are two types of, alkenes and alkynes.


(i) Alkenes:
What is alkene?
Definition: An unsaturated hydrocarbon in which the two carbon atoms are connected by a double bond is called an alkene.
Example of alkenes: ethene , propene.

The functional group of alkenes is >c=c<
The simplest alkene is ethene, in whose number of carbon atoms are two. There is no such alkenes having one carbon atom.
The general formula of an alkene is CnH2n, where n is the number of carbon atoms in its one molecule.

(ii) Alkynes:
What are alkynes?
Definition: Unsaturated hydrocarbons in which the two carbon atoms are connected by a triple bond is called alkynes.
Example of alkynes are ethyne, propyne.

The functional group of alkynes is >c=c<

Difference between saturated hydrocarbon and unsaturated hydrocarbon

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