BRAINCAKEHydrocarbons
A hydrocarbon is a compound that contains hydrogen and carbon atoms only.
Each carbon atom forms four covalent bonds, so carbon atoms can bond to each other to make chains and rings of almost any length, with hydrogen atoms bonded to the remaining positions. This is why there are so many organic compounds.
The simplest hydrocarbon is methane, CH4. Other examples are ethane, C2H6, propane, C3H8, and ethene, C2H4.
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Key terms in this lesson
- london forces
- Weak intermolecular forces caused by instantaneous dipoles inducing dipoles in neighbouring molecules, present between all molecules.
More in Introduction to Organic Chemistry
- Saturated and Unsaturated Hydrocarbons
- Cyclic Compounds
- Types of Formulae
- Functional Groups
- Homologous Series
- Naming Organic Compounds
- Practice Question - 1
- Practice Question - 2
All 13 lessons in Introduction to Organic Chemistry · All Edexcel AS-level Chemistry topics