Hydrocarbons—

Carbon and hydrogen-based compounds

Organic Compounds- Hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon-derived chemicals

What Is a Hydrocarbon and Its Uses?

A hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting of hydrogen and carbon
found in crude oil, natural gas, and coal. Hydrocarbons are highly
combustible and the main energy source of the world. Its uses consist of
gasoline, jet fuel, propane, kerosene, and diesel, to name just a few.

What Are the Types of Hydrocarbons?

There are two types of hydrocarbons: aliphatic and aromatic.

The three types of aliphatic hydrocarbons are--- alkanes, alkenes, and

alkynes.

Aromatic hydrocarbons --include benzene. Overall, examples of

hydrocarbons are methane, ethane, propane, and butane.

Aliphatic compounds are those hydrocarbons that are the open chain
compounds and also closed chains. Aromatic compounds are those who have
only a closed chain structure. They can be saturated as well as unsaturated where
the system can be open as well as closed chain.

Saturated Hydrocarbon— single bond

Unsaturated – double bond

Bonding in carbon-----
 The atomic number of carbon is 6.

Its electronic configuration is 2, 4.

It requires, 4 electrons to achieve the inert gas electronic configuration.

But carbon cannot form an ionic bond

It could gain four electrons forming C4- cation. But it would be difficult for the nucleus
with six protons to hold on to ten electrons.

It could lose four electrons forming C4+ cations. But it requires a large amount of
energy to remove four electrons. Thus, carbon overcomes this problem by sharing of
its valence electrons with other carbon atoms or with atoms of other elements.

The bond formed by the mutual sharing of electron pairs between two atoms in a
molecule is known as Covalent Bond.

Types of Covalent Bond:

Single Covalent Bond: When a single pair of electrons are shared between two atoms
in a molecule. For example, F2, Cl2, H2 etc.

Double Covalent Bond: When two pairs of electrons are shared between two atoms
in a molecule. For example, O2, CO2 etc.

Triple Covalent Bond: When three pairs of electrons are shared between two atoms
in a molecule. For example, N2 etc.

Reason for number of carbon compounds

Carbon forms numerous compounds because of the following reasons:

 Tetra valency – Carbon atoms readily form covalent bonds with the other atoms.
Catenation – Two carbon atoms readily form covalent bonds, and this bond is more stable than
the bonds formed by the other elements. The self-linking property of an element mainly a
carbon atom through covalent bonds to form long straight, branched rings of
different sizes is called Catenation.
This property is due to
  The small size of the carbon atom.
 The great strength of the carbon-carbon bond.

Carbon can also form stable multiple bonds (double or triple) with itself and with the
atoms of other elements.


 Carbon atoms have varying bond order and hybridization. That is, they can form double
or triple bonds. 
 The electronegativity of the carbon atom is average.
 Carbon atoms can share not only a single electron with another atom to form a single
bond, but they can also share two or three electrons, forming a double or triple bond.
 Electron Dot Structure: The electron dot structures provide a picture of
bonding in molecules in terms of the shared pairs of electrons and the octet
rule.

 Formation of Hydrogen Molecule

Atomic number of Hydrogen = 1
Number of valence electrons =1
K -shell
 Electronic Configuration of H - 1

H H
Formation of CH4 Molecule
Atomic number of Carbon = 6 [2, 4]
Number of valence electrons = 4
Atomic number of Hydrogen = 1
Number of valence electrons = 1

Formation of Double Bond—

Oxygen—O2
At no-8
E.conf: 2,6
So it has 6 e- in its outer most shell, in order to complete its octet it will share
two e- with second O atom

Formation of triple bond—

N-at no-7
Econf-2,5
 Homologous Series: Series of organic compounds having the same
functional group and chemical properties and successive members
differ by a CH2 unit or 14 mass units are known as Homologous series.
Characteristics of Hydrocarbons---
The successive members in homologous series differ by CH2 unit or 14
mass unit.
Members of given homologous series have the same functional group.
All the members of the homologous series show similar chemical
properties.
 Methane ( CH 4 ) , ethane ( C 2 H 6 ) , propane ( C 3 H 8 ) and
butane (C 4 H 10 ) belong to the homologous series of alkanes.
 The general formula of this homologous series of alkanes is C n H
2 n + 2.
Alkanes

 Alkanes are a series of compounds that contain carbon and

hydrogen atoms with single covalent bonds. These are known as
saturated hydrocarbons. This group of compounds consists of
carbon and hydrogen atoms with single covalent bonds. Also
comprises a homologous series having a molecular formula of
CnH2n+2.
 Alkanes are the simplest family of hydrocarbons. They contain only
carbon and hydrogen. Each carbon atom forms four bonds and
each hydrogen atom forms one bond. Chemists use line-angle
formulas because they are easier and faster to draw than
 condensed structural formulas. Structural formulas for alkanes
can be written in yet another condensed form.
The simple alkane methane contains one carbon atom and CH4 as
its molecular formula. As this compound have just single covalent bonds
only, therefore, its structural formula is

Structural formula

 Prefix: indicates the number of carbons
 Suffix: ‘-ane’
 Alkanes are a group of saturated hydrocarbons
o The term saturated means that they only have single carbon-
carbon bonds, there are no double bonds
o
 They form a homologous series which has the general formula
CnH2n+2
 They are colourless compounds which have a gradual change in
their physical properties as the number of carbon atoms in the
chain increases
 Alkanes are generally unreactive compounds but they do
undergo combustion reactions, can be cracked into smaller
molecules and can react with halogens in the presence of light
 Methane is an alkane and is the major component of natural gas.
This table shows us the methane and ethane differ from each other by CH2
group.

Let’s start by putting the value in general formula of Alkanes C nH2n+2

Suppose n=1
Putting the value of n=1
C1H2x1+2 ------ CH4 - meth- ane = methane
n=2
C2H2x2+2 -------C2H4 ---------- eth-ane = ethane
n=3
n=4

The Formation of Crude Oil 

 Crude oil is formed from ancient biomass. When animals and

plants (such as plankton) died over millions of years ago in the
oceans, they fell to the bottom of the ocean and decayed
anaerobically in mud over millions of years under high pressure
and temperature. This organic matter, called ancient biomass,
turned into crude oil and became stored within rocks.