Question

Differentiate between alkane, alkene, alkyne and alkyl? Give at least three major differences between them.

Answer 1

Hint :The hydrocarbons are the compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms in the molecule bonded through different types of chemical bonds. These hydrocarbons are classified into alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and alkyl groups.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Hydrocarbons are the compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms. These are divided into alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and alkyl groups.
Alkanes:
Alkanes are the hydrocarbons that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms bonded by the single covalent bond. The hybridization involved in alkanes is $s{p}^3$ . The general molecular formula of alkanes is $C_n{H}_{2n+2}$ . Some of the examples were ethane $\left(C_2{H}_6\right)$ and butane $\left(C_4{H}_{10}\right)$ .
Alkenes:
Alkenes are the hydrocarbons that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms bonded by the double covalent bond, one is sigma and the other is pi-bond. The hybridization involved in alkanes is $s{p}^2$ . The general molecular formula of alkanes is $C_n{H}_{2n}$ . Some of the examples were ethene $\left(C_2{H}_4\right)$ and butene $\left(C_4{H}_8\right)$ .
Alkynes:
Alkynes are the hydrocarbons that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms bonded by the triple covalent bond, one is sigma and the other two are pi-bonds. The hybridization involved in alkanes is $sp$ . The general molecular formula of alkanes is $C_n{H}_{2n-2}$ . Some of the examples were ethyne $\left(C_2{H}_2\right)$ and butyne $\left(C_4{H}_6\right)$ .
Alkyl groups;
Alkyl groups are the hydrocarbons that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms bonded by the single covalent bond. The hybridization involved is $s{p}^3$ . The general molecular formula is $C_n{H}_{2n+1}$ . Some of the examples were ethyl groups $\left(C_2{H}_5\right)$ .

Note :
Alkanes are also known as paraffins, alkenes are also known as olefins. Some of the compounds of alkanes, alkenes and alkynes naturally occur, but alkyl groups are formed by the removal of one hydrogen atom from the alkanes and cannot be found separately but combined with other groups.