What is the difference between an alkane, an alkene, and an alkyne?
The correct answer and explanation is:
Alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes are all hydrocarbons, meaning they are composed only of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The key difference between these three types of hydrocarbons lies in the types of bonds between the carbon atoms.
Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, meaning they contain only single bonds between the carbon atoms. This makes them “saturated” with the maximum number of hydrogen atoms. The general formula for alkanes is CₙH₂ₙ₊₂, where “n” represents the number of carbon atoms. Examples of alkanes include methane (CH₄) and ethane (C₂H₆). Alkanes are relatively stable and unreactive, which makes them useful as fuels, like natural gas or gasoline.
Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons, which means they contain at least one double bond between two carbon atoms. The general formula for alkenes is CₙH₂ₙ, where “n” is the number of carbon atoms. This double bond reduces the number of hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon chain, making alkenes more reactive than alkanes. Ethene (C₂H₄) is the simplest alkene, and it is widely used in the production of plastics. The presence of a double bond allows alkenes to undergo reactions like addition reactions, which alkanes cannot do.
Alkynes are also unsaturated hydrocarbons, but they contain at least one triple bond between two carbon atoms. The general formula for alkynes is CₙH₂ₙ₋₂. An example of an alkyne is ethyne (C₂H₂), commonly known as acetylene, which is used in welding. Like alkenes, alkynes are more reactive than alkanes due to the presence of the triple bond, which makes them capable of undergoing reactions like substitution and addition reactions.
In summary, alkanes are saturated with single bonds, alkenes have double bonds, and alkynes have triple bonds, with reactivity increasing as the number of bonds between carbon atoms increases.