What is the name given to a compound containing only carbons and hydrogens and having the maximum number of hydrogens in the molecule
Answers
Hydrocarbons are organic compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen. The broadest distinction between hydrocarbons is whether they are saturated and unsaturated. Saturated hydrocarbons only contain carbon-carbon single bonds with the maximum number of hydrogens relative to the number of carbon atoms. It can be said that the carbon atoms are "saturated" with hydrogen atoms in the same way a saturated solution has dissolved the maximum amount of solute. Hydrocarbons that contain pi bonds as carbon-carbon double or triple bonds are classified as unsaturated hydrocarbons. Unsaturation indicates that some of the carbon-hydrogen bonds were lost to from pi bonds between carbon atoms. There are less than the maximum number os hydrogens relative to the number of carbon atoms.