Alkenes
Chapter Name : Hydrocarbons |
Sub Topic Code : 102_11_13_03_03 |
Topic Name : Alkenes |
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Sub Topic Name : Isomerism |
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Introduction
In organic chemistry, an alkene is an unsaturated chemical compound containing at least one carbon–carbon double bond. The simplest acyclic alkenes, with only one double bond and no other functional groups, known as mono-enes, form a homologous series of hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n.
Pre-Requisites:
Alkenes
Activity:
Skeleton.
Real Life Question:
What are alkenes?
Key Words / FlashCards
| Key Words | Definitions (pref. in our own words) |
|---|---|
| Isomerism | Isomerism is the existence of molecules that have the same numbers of the same kinds of atoms (and hence the same formula) but differ in chemical and physical properties. |
Learning aids / Gadgets
| Gadgets | How it can be used |
|---|---|
| alkenes | Alkenes are used for artificial ripening of fruits, as a general anesthetic, for making poisonous mustard gas (War gas) and ethylene-oxygen flame. |
Real life uses :
Making industrial ethanol and further oxidation to ethanoic acid.
Places to visit :
Chemistry laboratory.
Practical examples around us
| Examples | Explainations |
|---|---|
| Ethylene | A hydrocarbon with the formula C2H4 or H2C=CH2. It is a colorless flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odor when pure. It is the simplest alkene (a hydrocarbon with carbon-carbon double bonds), and the simplest unsaturated hydrocarbon after acetylene (C2H2). |
What you learn in Theory:
Alkenes are relatively stable compounds, but are more reactive than alkanes due to the presence of a carbon–carbon pi-bond. It is also attributed to the presence of pi-electrons in the molecule. The majority of the reactions of alkenes involve the rupture of this pi bond, forming new single bonds.
What you learn in Practice:
Alkenes are produced by hydrocarbon cracking. Raw materials are mostly natural gas condensate components (principally ethane and propane) in the US and Mideast and naphtha in Europe and Asia.