What are hydrocarbons? State its types.
Hydrocarbons and Its Types
A compound having carbon ( C ) and hydrogen (H) as its main components is known as a hydrocarbon.
Hydrocarbons are:
· Organic compounds
· Can be classified based on the number of bonds – saturated and unsaturated
· Can be classified as an alkane, an alkene, alkyne
· These have a varied nature of melting and boiling points
· These are, at times, gaseous
· These generally have weak odors
Classification:
[A] SATURATED HYDROCARBONS-
These are composed of only single bonds. Example- alkanes
1. Alkanes-
· These are simple hydrocarbons containing single bonds between adjacent carbons (C–C)
· The compounds are sp³ hybridized
· These are the simplest hydrocarbons
· The general formula of alkanes is – CnH(2n+2) ; where n is the number of carbons
[B] UNSATURATED HYDROCARBONS-
Compounds having one or more double or triple bonds between the adjacent carbon atoms.
1. Alkenes-
· These contain at least one double bond
· They are sp²-hybridized
· Their general formula is – CnH2n
· Example- butene, ethene, propene
2. Alkynes-
· These contain at least one triple bond
· They are sp hybridized
· Their general formula is – CnH2n-2
· Example- ethyne, propyne
[C] CYCLO HYDROCARBONS
These are ring compounds, i.e, they contain one or more rings of carbon. The hydrogen is also attached to the rings through carbon atoms.
Example- cyclopropane
[D] AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS:
· Unsaturated hydrocarbons containing at least one aromatic ring structure.
· These are also known as arenes
· The simplest aromatic hydrocarbon is benzene
This was the classification of hydrocarbons. I hope this helps you.
– Written by Manpreet
