Hydrocarbons

  • There are a family of molecules that contain hydrogen and carbon.

  • They are mostly found in coal, petroleum, natural gas - fossil fuels.

  • All hydrocarbons used for industry come from crude oil. Crude oil is a mixture of different sized hydrocarbons.

  • Many of these fossil fuels are obtained by drilling, fracking, or 


Naming hydrocarbons:

  • Count amount of carbons;


1C

meth -

2C

eth - 

3C

prop - 

4C

but -

5C

pent - 

6C

hex - 

7C

heat - 

8C

oct - 


  • Add the ane/ene/yne depending on whether there are double or triple bonds present


Alkanes:

  • Alkanes are chemicals found in crude oil. 

  • Saturated means that all of these atoms are held together by single bonds and no more hydrogen molecules can be added.


Name ending

-ane 

functional group

only single carbon-carbon bonds

saturation

saturated 

geometry

tetrahedral

first member

methane

formula

Cn+Hn+2



Alkenes:

  • Contain double bonds

  • The double bond means that the alkenes have the potential to join with other molecules (reactive)


Name ending

-ene

functional group

double carbon-carbon bonds

saturation

unsaturated

geometry

trigonal planar

first member

ethene 

formula

Cn+Hn2



Alkynes:

  • Contain triple bonds


Name ending

-yne

functional group

triple carbon-carbon bonds

saturation 

unsaturated

geometry

planar

first member

ethyne 

formula

Cn+Hn-2