Question

List two categories in which hydrocarbon compounds can be classified?

Answer 1

Saturated hydrocarbons have as many hydrogen atoms as possible attached to every carbon. For carbons on the end of a molecular chain, three can be attached. For carbons in the middle of a chain or a ring, two can be attached. For a carbon atom all by itself, four hydrogen atoms can be attached. Saturated hydrocarbons have only single bonds between adjacent carbon atoms.

Unsaturated hydrocarbons have double and/or triple bonds between some of the carbon atoms.