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Q6 (CDS-II/2018) Science & Technology › Basic Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) › Organic chemistry basics Answer Verified

Which of the following is the general formula for saturated hydrocarbons?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: A
Explanation

Hydrocarbons are organic compounds composed solely of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Saturated hydrocarbons, commonly known as alkanes or paraffins, are characterized by having only single covalent bonds between carbon atoms. Because each carbon atom forms four single bonds, these molecules contain the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms for a given carbon chain [1]. The general molecular formula for all open-chain alkanes is CnH2n+2, where 'n' represents the number of carbon atoms. For example, methane (n=1) is CH4, ethane (n=2) is C2H6, and propane (n=3) is C3H8 [1]. In contrast, unsaturated hydrocarbons like alkenes and alkynes contain double or triple bonds and follow different general formulas, such as CnH2n and CnH2n-2 respectively.

Sources

  1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > 4.2.2 Chains, Branches and Rings > p. 64
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