Hydrocarbon

Hydrocarbon
MUST Remember!
Hydrocarbons are organic compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen.

Saturated Hydrocarbon

1. Hydrocarbon is a compound made out of the elements carbon

and hydrogen only.
2. Examples of hydrocarbon are alkane, alkene and alkyne. 
3. Hydrocarbons can be divided into two groups:
a. saturated hydrocarbon
Saturated hydrocarbons are hydrocarbons where all its carbon atoms
are tied to each other through single covalent bond only. Examples:
alkanes
b. unsaturated hydrocarbon
Unsaturated hydrocarbons are hydrocarbons which contain at least
one double covalent bond among its carbon atoms. Examples: alkenes

Unsaturated Hydrocarbon
1. Ethanol ( C2H5OH ), ethanoic acid (CH3COOH), metal methanoate
(HCOOCH3), chloromethane (CH3Cl) and others are not hydrocarbons
because the molecule contains other elements such as chlorine or oxygen
other than carbon and hydrogen.

MUST Know!

 Saturated – All single bond between carbons 

 Unsaturated – Has at least one double/triple bond between carbons

Comparing Saturated and Unsaturated Hydrocarbon

Saturated Unsaturated
Hydrocarbon Hydrocarbon

Combustion Produce less soot Produce more soot

Reaction with bromine The brown colour of Decolourise the

water bromine remain brown colour of
unchanged bromine

Reaction with The purple colour Decolourise the

potassium of potassium purple colour of
manganate(VII) manganate (VII) potassium
solution solution remain manganate (VII)
unchanged solution

Sources of Hydrocarbon:

The main sources of hydrocarbons are

a. Coal
b. Natural gas
c. Petroleum
Combustion of Hydrocarbon
All hydrocarbons undergo combustion with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide
(or carbon monoxide/carbon) and water. There are 2 types of combustion:

1. Complete combustion – organic compounds burn completely which form

CO2 and H2O
2. Incomplete combustion– organic compounds burn with limited supply of
O2 which form C (soot), CO, CO2 and H2O.

Example

Complete combustion

C H  + 7/2 O  → 2CO  + 3H O
2 6 2 2 2

C H  + 9/2 O  → 3CO  + 3H O
3 6 2 2 2

Incomplete combustion

C H  + 5/2 O  → 2CO + 3H O
2 6 2 2

C H  + 3/2 O  → 2C + 3H O
2 6 2 2

C H  + 3O  → 3CO + 3H O
3 6 2 2

C H  + 3/2 O  → 3C + 3H O
3 6 2 2
Note:

1. The soot from the combustion of a hydrocarbon depends on the

percentage of carbon it contains.
2. Higher carbon percentage in the hydrocarbon molecule will result sootier
flame.

Homologous Series
1. A series of compounds with similar chemical properties, in which
members differ from one another by the possession of an additional
CH2 group, is called a homologous series.

2. Each homologous series must have the following four

characteristics:
1. Every member in the homologous series can be represented
by a common formula. For example:
1. Alkane: CnH2n+2
2. Alkene: CnH2n
3. Alcohol: CnH2n+1OH
4. Carboxylic acid : CnH2n+1COOH
5. Ester: CnH2n+1COOCmH2m+1

2. Every member differ from others by the group -CH2– which

has the relative mass 14. For example:

1. Members of the same homologous series can be prepared

through one common method. For examples, All alkenes can be
prepared by dehydration of relevant alcohols.
2.
Preparing Ethene (Dehydration of ethanol):

C2H5OH → C2H4 + H2O

Preparing Propene (Dehydration of propanol)

C3H7OH → C3H8 + H2O

1. Members of the homologous series have the same chemical

properties. For example: All alkenes show addition reaction as added into
bromine.