EDEXCEL IGCSE CHEMISTRY: DOUBLE SCIENCE 复习笔记：4.3.1 Alkanes

• Alkanes are a group of saturated hydrocarbons
  • The term saturated means that they only have single carbon-carbon bonds, there are no double bonds

   

• The general formula of the alkanes is C_nH_2n+2
• They are colourless compounds which have a gradual change in their physical properties as the number of carbon atoms in the chain increases
• Alkanes are generally unreactive compounds but they do undergo combustion reactions, can be cracked into smaller molecules and can react with halogens in the presence of light
• Methane is an alkane and is the major component of natural gas

This table shows the first five members of the alkane homologous series