WHAT IS A HYDROCARBON????????

“Hydrocarbons are molecular compounds containing the elements hydrogen and carbon only”

          - Nick Lucarelli, 2014

Wow, that was complex.

(imma split this section into 2 parts cause the basics are chunky as)

Hydrocarbons 2

Now why?

Essentially, as carbon atoms have an electronic configuration of 2 4, this means that carbon has a valency of both +4 and -4. This means that to obtain a full shell, carbon atoms can:

1. Form four single bonds with four other atoms. e.g. Methane where 1 carbon is bonded with 4 hydrogen atoms.
2. Form two single bonds and a double bond with 3 other atoms.
3. Form a triple bond and a single bond with two other atoms.

This leads to numerous carbon compounds.

-Clarification: numbers 1 and 2 refer to Alkanes and Alkenes respectively. Number 3 is irrelevant for now.

There are many sources of hydrocarbons, but they are almost everywhere.

Hydrocarbons are an essential part of organic chemistry as they are generally found in almost all organic organisms as a part of their means of life. This is because hydrocarbons works as an effective fuel i.e. source of energy. They can also be converted to materials such as plastics, synthetic fibers, etc.