Chemistry – Organic chemistry - Alkanes | e-Consult

Alkanes contain single covalent bonds between carbon atoms and single covalent bonds between carbon and hydrogen atoms. Covalent bonds are formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms.

Alkanes are classified as hydrocarbons because they are composed entirely of hydrogen and carbon atoms. This is the defining characteristic of hydrocarbons.

Alkanes are classified as saturated hydrocarbons. This is because each carbon atom is bonded to the maximum number of hydrogen atoms possible (four). Since they are saturated with hydrogen, they cannot accommodate any more hydrogen atoms without breaking existing single bonds. The presence of only single bonds between carbon atoms further supports their classification as saturated.