• Alkanes are a group of?saturated?hydrocarbons
  • The term saturated means that they only have single carbon-carbon bonds, there are no double bonds

   

• The general formula of the alkanes is?C_nH_2n+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 the first five members of the alkane homologous series