Alkanes: Saturated Hydrocarbons
This page introduces alkany alkanes, a class of węglowodory nasycone saturatedhydrocarbons. Alkany are characterized by their single bonds between carbon atoms and follow a specific naming convention.
Definition: Węglowodory nasycone are organic compounds that contain only single bonds between carbon atoms.
The general formula for alkany is CnH₂n+₂, where n represents the number of carbon atoms in the molecule. This formula allows for the calculation of the number of hydrogen atoms in any alkane molecule.
Example: Methane CH4 is the simplest alkane, with one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms.
The page presents a table showing the first five members of the szereg homologiczny alkanów homologousseriesofalkanes:
- Methane CH4
- Ethane C2H6
- Propane C3H8
- Butane C4H10
- Pentane C5H12
Highlight: Each successive member of the alkane series differs by a CH₂ group, known as the homologous difference.
The structural formulas for these alkanes are also provided, showing the arrangement of carbon and hydrogen atoms. This visual representation helps in understanding the increasing complexity of alkane molecules as the carbon chain lengthens.
Vocabulary: The szereg homologiczny homologousseries is a collection of organic compounds with similar structures, differing by a constant unit inthiscase,CH2 and exhibiting similar chemical properties.
Understanding the structure and nomenclature of alkany is crucial for further study of organic chemistry and forms the basis for exploring more complex hydrocarbon compounds.
