What are hydrocarbons? Give examples.

Organic compounds that are made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms are called hydrocarbons. Some common examples of hydrocarbons are methane and ethane.

Methane is the main component of natural gas. It is also released into the atmosphere by crude oil production and other industrial activities and biological processes. Small amounts of methane are also produced in our body.

All hydrocarbons are converted to carbon dioxide and water after a series of reactions.

Based on the number of bonds between carbon atoms, hydrocarbons are of different types.

1. Hydrocarbons that have single bond between two carbon atoms are called alkanes. These are the least reactive of all the hydrocarbons. Examples: methane, ethane
2. Hydrocarbons that have a double bond between two carbon atoms are called alkenes. These are more reactive than alkanes. Examples: ethane, propene
3. Hydrocarbons that have a triple bond between two carbon atoms are called alkynes. These are the most reactive. They are commonly called as acetylenes. Examples: ethyne, propyne