Alkanes, Cracking and Alkenes

2) Ethane - C2H6

3) Propane - C3H8

4) Butane - C4H10

5) Pentane - C5H12

6) Hexane - C6H14

7) Heptane - C7H16

8) Octane - C8H18

9) Nanane - C9H20

0) Decane - C10H22

Physical Properties

C 1 - C 4 As the number of carbon atoms increase

Gases the boiling and melting points also increase.

C 5 - C 10

Liquid

C 11 +

Solid

Cracking

In the process of 'Cracking', heat breaks bonds between carbon atoms into smaller atoms and it is used to maximise a particular fraction in crude oil

As petrol is more needed and most valuable, to increase the fraction of petrol, cracking is used.

Such as when Decane is cracked.

Which gives us Octane (C8H18), which is saturated because it has four single bonds and Ethene (C2H4), which is unsaturated because it has a double bond

(C = C).