Alkanes

Alkanes are a type of hydrocarbon, meaning they are compounds made entirely of carbon and hydrogen atoms. They are characterized by having only single bonds between carbon atoms, which gives them relatively stable and unreactive properties. Commonly found in natural gas and petroleum, alkanes form the basis for fuels like methane, propane, and butane. Their molecular formulas follow the pattern CₙH₂ₙ₊₂, where ‘n’ represents the number of carbon atoms. Alkanes are important in energy production and chemical manufacturing, and their structures are simple chains or rings of carbon atoms surrounded by hydrogen atoms.