Differentiate between saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon ??
Answers
Unlike saturated hydrocarbons in which all hydrogen atoms and carbon atoms are bonded together with single bonds,unsaturated hydrocarbons have double or even triple bonds between the carbon atoms. ... Alkenes - These unsaturated hydrocarbons are molecules that contain at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond
Unsaturated hydrocarbons contain one or more double or triple bonds between carbon atoms.
Saturated hydrocarbons contain only single bonds, and thereby have the maximum amount of hydrogen atoms attached.
Saturated hydrocarbons are “Saturated” with hydrogen atoms, containing only sigma bonds between atoms as to ensure that each Carbon atoms in that molecules has its full octet of hydrogen atoms. As a result of this, they tend to be very inert (non-reactive), even with ions.
Unsaturated hydrocarbons are hydrocarbons that simply contain double or triple bonds. That is to say that some Carbon atoms within the chain would rather bond “twice” so to speak and not a hydrogen atom. Unlike Saturated hydrocarbons, Unsaturated hydrocarbons are much more reactive.
Also, with atoms containing double and triple bonds, there is greater electron repulsion, subsequently causing it to more “zigzag” shaped in order to relieve this repulsion unlike saturated hydrocarbons with are linear . This electron strain accounts for one of the variables explaining reactivity of these species.