Hydrocarbons are the chemical compounds composed of Carbon and Hydrogen. Everything mostly that we use in our daily life is hydrocarbons such as LPG, petrol, insecticides, soaps, etc. There is a large number of organic compounds exist in nature because of two reasons:
(i) Tetravalency: The valency of carbon is four due to which it is able to form covalent bonds with other atoms at a time.
(ii) Catenation: The ability of carbon atom to bind with other carbon atoms to form long chains.
Because of the above properties, hydrocarbons are able to exist in various forms like linear structure, branched-chain structure, and ring structure.
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The given below are the major applications of hydrocarbons:
(i) Natural gas: This is naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas, consisting mainly of methane and some other higher alkanes as well. This gas in the form of LPG which majorly contains butane is mainly used in our kitchens.
(ii) Soaps and detergents: Hydrocarbons are used in the manufacturing of soaps and detergents.
(i) Classification of hydrocarbons
(ii) Alkanes
(iii) Alkenes
(iv) Alkynes
(v) Aromatic
Related Topics,
The hydrocarbons can be classified in the following three categories, on the basis of the bonds present between carbon-carbon atoms.
(i) Saturated hydrocarbons: These are the types of hydrocarbons in which all carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen are singly bonded with each other. These hydrocarbons either exist as an open chain or circular ring structured and they are known as alkanes and cycloalkanes respectively. Some common examples of saturated hydrocarbons are:
(ii) Unsaturated hydrocarbon: These are the hydrocarbons that have double or triple bonds between the carbon atoms. These unsaturated hydrocarbons are of two types, i.e, Alkenes (containing double bonds) and Alkynes (containing triple bonds). The general formula for alkenes and alkynes are CnH2n and CnH2n-2, respectively.
(iii) Aromatic hydrocarbon: These hydrocarbons are circular rings with delocalized pi electrons between carbon atoms. The simplest aromatic compound known is benzene, with chemical formula C6H6.
This classification of hydrocarbons can be tabulated as follows:
Hydrocarbon | Characteristic | Example |
Saturated (Alkanes) | Only a single bond | Butane |
Unsaturated (Alkenes, Alkynes) | Double and Triple bonds | Ethene, Butyne |
Aromatic | Localized pi electrons | Benzene |
Alkanes
Alkanes are the most basic class of organic compounds. They are also known as saturated compounds. All the carbon-carbon bonds in these molecules are single bonds.
The (I) compound is named as simply 'butane' and (II) compound is named as '2-Methylpropane'. Now since two molecules differ in their structures thus, they are known as structural isomers.
(i) Halogenation:
ii) Combustion: Alkanes undergo oxidation in the presence of air and form carbon dioxide and water.
Alkenes
Alkenes are another class of organic compounds. These compounds are also known as unsaturated hydrocarbons. In these compounds, one or more than one carbon-carbon double bond is always present.
NCERT Notes Subject Wise Link:
For this chapter, first, the NCERT book is best for initial level preparation as well as for board exams. Now, after this, if you want to prepare for competitive exams like JEE and NEET, then these are the best books for you - Morrison and Boyd and R.K Gupta by Arihant publication. Meanwhile, in the preparation, you must continuously give the mock tests for the depth of knowledge. Our platform will help you to provide with the variety of questions for deeper knowledge with the help of videos, articles and mock tests.
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Correct Answer: Hydrocarbons of petroleum
Solution : The correct answer is Hydrocarbons of Petroleum.
Synthetic detergents are commonly used for efficient cleaning in various applications, including laundry, dishwashing and home cleaning. They are made using petroleum-based chemicals, specifically Alkylbenzene sulphonates and Alkyl sulfate, which are obtained from crude oil and chemically converted into surfactants, the essential cleaning agents in detergents.
Correct Answer: Compounds of carbon having double bonds or triple bonds between their carbon atoms are called unsaturated compounds.
Solution : The correct answer is Compounds of carbon having double bonds or triple bonds between their carbon atoms are called unsaturated compounds.
Unsaturated hydrocarbons are hydrocarbons (compounds consisting of hydrogen and carbon) that contain one or more multiple bonds, such as double bonds (C=C) or triple bonds (C≡C) between carbon atoms.
Correct Answer: Hermann Kolbe
Solution : The correct option is Hermann Kolbe.
The German chemist who used the technique of preparing hydrocarbons by electrolysis of solutions of salts of fatty acids was Hermann Kolbe. He made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry, and his work on electrolysis paved the way for the synthesis of organic compounds from inorganic precursors. This process, known as Kolbe electrolysis, demonstrated that organic molecules could be created from inorganic sources, challenging the then-prevailing theory of vitalism in chemistry.