Question

Research and state three chemical or physical properties that are common alkanes.

Answer 1

1) Alkanes are typically hydrophobic, meaning they are not soluble in water. This is due to the nonpolar nature of alkanes, which are composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms bonded together with only single bonds. The lack of polar groups in alkanes makes them incompatible with the polar nature of water molecules.

2) Alkanes have low boiling points and are volatile. This is because the intermolecular forces between alkane molecules are weak London dispersion forces resulting from the temporary fluctuations in electron density. As a result, alkanes have low boiling points and readily evaporate.

3) Alkanes are unreactive towards most chemical reagents, particularly under mild conditions. This is due to the strong carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds in alkanes, which require high energy input to break. Alkanes are notably stable and can withstand many types of chemical reactions without undergoing significant changes.