Periodic Table of Elements - Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry - Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen in their structure.

  • Hydrocarbons are the simplest organic compounds.
  • Hydrocarbons grouped by type of bonding between carbon atoms.
  • Hydrocarbons grouped as saturated hydrocarbons, unsaturated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons.
  • Saturated hydrocarbons are the hydrocarbons in which each carbon atom in molecule forms four single covalent bonds with other atoms.
  • Unsaturated hydrocarbons are the hydrocarbons in which not all carbon atoms have four single covalent bonds.
  • Aromatic hydrocarbons are the hydrocarbons with 6-membered carbon rings and delocalized electrons.
  • The simplest Hydrocarbons are called Alkanes.
  • As the number of carbon atoms in molecular formula increases, the number of possible isomers also increases.

Some examples of hydrocarbons:

Name Formula Structure
Methane CH4 

  H 
  | 
H-C-H
  | 
  H
Ethane C2H6 
  H H
  | |
H-C-C-H
  | |
  H H

Hydrocarbons are grouped as: