Chemistry – Organic chemistry - Formulae, functional groups and terminology | e-Consult

Saturated Hydrocarbons: These hydrocarbons contain only single bonds between carbon atoms. Each carbon atom is bonded to the maximum number of hydrogen atoms possible. Because of the strong single bonds, saturated hydrocarbons are relatively unreactive. An example is methane (CH₄).

Unsaturated Hydrocarbons: These hydrocarbons contain one or more double or triple bonds between carbon atoms. The presence of these multiple bonds makes them more reactive than saturated hydrocarbons. The pi bonds in double and triple bonds are weaker than sigma bonds (single bonds) and are more easily broken. An example is ethene (C₂H₄), which contains a double bond.