Question

Which of the following is a saturated hydrocarbon?
a) \[{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{2}}\]
b) \[{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{4}}\]
c) \[{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{6}}\]
d) \[{{C}_{4}}{{H}_{4}}\]
e) \[{{C}_{6}}{{H}_{10}}\]

Answer 1

Hint: It is the second most abundant natural gas constituent, widely used in many homes. It is a member of alkanes which are an important raw material for the chemical industry and a major component of gasoline and lubricating oils.

Complete step by step answer:
Let’s define what saturated hydrocarbons are.
Saturated hydrocarbons are defined as hydrocarbons that contain only single bonds between the carbon atoms. In other words, each carbon atom is bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible and no multiple bonds are present between the carbon-carbon atoms. We can also say that the carbon atoms are saturated with hydrogen. They are the simplest class of hydrocarbons. Saturated hydrocarbons are given the general name of alkanes.

Now let's come to our options:
\[{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{2}}\] contains a triple bond between the carbon-carbon atoms. So, it is not a saturated hydrocarbon.
\[{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{4}}\] also contains a double bond between the carbon-carbon atoms. So, it is not a saturated hydrocarbon.
\[{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{6}}\] is a saturated hydrocarbon as it doesn’t contain any double bond between the carbon-carbon atom and all the other bonds are occupied by the maximum number of hydrogens.
\[{{C}_{4}}{{H}_{4}}\] contains a triple bond between the carbon-carbon atoms. So, it is not a saturated hydrocarbon.
\[{{C}_{6}}{{H}_{10}}\] contains a double bond between the carbon-carbon atoms. So, it is not a saturated hydrocarbon.

Therefore, the correct option is (c).

Note: We can also use the general formula for alkanes to determine whether it is a saturated hydrocarbon or not. The formula is written as \[{{C}_{n}}{{H}_{2n+2}}\], where n is the number of carbon atoms.