Introduction

• Alkanes are a homologous series and are a type of hydrocarbon.
• Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, meaning they contain only single covalent bonds between the carbon atoms.
• Alkanes are immiscible with water and other polar solvents because they are non-polar and cannot hydrogen bond to water molecules.
• Alkanes are miscible with non-polar solvents.
• Alkanes are non-polar because carbon and hydrogen have similar electronegativity values and dipoles are not created.
• The general formula for alkanes is Cn H2n+2.
• How are alkanes non-polar?

  Carbon and hydrogen have similar electronegativity values and so dipoles are not created.
• Structural isomerism occurs in alkanes when 4 carbon atoms are reached.