3.1 Saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons

  General Organic Chemistry

    1.0 Introduction
    2.0 Classification of organic compounds
    3.0 Homologous series
    4.0 Nomenclature of hydrocarbons
    5.0 Nomenclature of compounds containing halogens and nitro groups
    6.0 Nomenclature of compounds with functional groups named as suffixes
    7.0 Nomenclature of aromatic compounds
    8.0 Radicofunctional naming
    9.0 Organic reactions
    10.0 Electrophiles
    11.0 Nucleophiles
    12.0 Breaking and forming of bonds
    13.0 Reaction intermediates
    14.0 Electron displacement effects
    15.0 Inductive effects
    16.0 Hyperconjugation
    17.0 Resonance
    18.0 Mesomeric effect
    19.0 Electromeric effect
    20.0 Inductomeric effect
    21.0 Steric inhibition of resonance
    22.0 Ortho effect

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3.1 Saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons

Saturated hydrocarbons

The organic compounds in which all the carbon atoms present in the molecule are bonded to other atoms through single covalent bonds. In such compounds, each carbon is bonded directly to other atoms through single covalent bonds.

In saturated compounds, each carbon atom is bonded directly to four other atoms.

These compounds are known as saturated compounds because all the carbon atoms utilize their full combining capacity by forming single covalent bonds with other atoms.

Unsaturated hydrocarbon

The organic compounds in which there are some carbon atoms which are bonded to other atoms through a double bond or triple bond. In such compounds there are some carbon atoms which are bonded to less than four atoms directly.

These compounds are known as unsaturated compounds because all the carbon atoms have not utilized their full combining capacity by forming single covalent bonds.