Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are the simplest of the organic compounds. They contain hydrogen and carbon atoms exclusively. Hydrocarbons are often used as fuels, for example methane, or feedstocks for synthesizing other chemicals like ethylene and benzene.  If you don not see images in the lefthand column below you will need to install the plug-in CHIME. Instructions are available from the TOOLS pulldown menu. You will need restart your computer once you have completed the CHIME installation in order to see the models.

Once you have the model images, you can place your mouse on each of the models and hold down the button to see a menu of options that will allow you to choose different representations of the molecule.  You can rotate any of these models by placing your mouse on the background and holding down the mouse button while moving the mouse around.
 

Representations of Some Common Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbon Image	Condensed Formula and Name
	CH4,           Methane
	CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH3,                Pentane
	2-methylbutane
	2, 2- dimethylpropane
	CH2 = CH2               Ethylene
	C6H6            Benzene

Alkanes are are hdrocarbons that contain only single bonds. They have the general formula C_nH_2n+2 where n is an integer. Alkanes are also referred to as saturated hydrocarbons because each carbon is bonded to the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms. All alkanes have the suffix -ane, added to the root name for the organic compound. Alkanes that form a ring have the prefix cyclo- added to the rest of the name, and are called cycloalkanes. Alkanes are generally not very reactive but they do undergo oxidation and substitution.  The larger the mass of the alkane the stronger the intermolecular forces between the molecules.  Larger alkane molecules are, as a result solid while smaller alkanes are liquids.  Methane, the simplest alkane is a gas.