Hydrocarbon | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica
2024年9月14日 · Hydrocarbons are the principal constituents of petroleum and natural gas and serve as fuels, lubricants, and raw materials for various products. Learn about the types, structures, and uses of hydrocarbons.
Organic compound | Definition & Examples | Britannica
2024年9月12日 · An organic compound is any chemical compound in which one or more atoms of carbon are covalently linked to atoms of other elements, most commonly hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen. The few carbon-containing compounds not classified as organic include carbides, carbonates, and cyanides.
Fatty acid | Definition, Structure, Functions, Properties, & Examples ...
2024年9月2日 · Fatty acid, important component of lipids in plants, animals, and microorganisms. Generally, a fatty acid consists of a straight chain of an even number of carbon atoms, with hydrogen atoms along the length of the chain and at one end of the chain and a carboxyl group (—COOH) at the other end.
Crude oil | Definition, Characteristics, & Facts | Britannica
Crude oil, liquid petroleum that is found accumulated in various porous rock formations in Earth’s crust and is extracted for burning as fuel or for processing into chemical products. Crude oil is a mixture of varying hydrocarbons and other chemicals, and its physical properties vary widely.
Hydrocarbon - Physical Properties | Britannica
2024年9月14日 · Hydrocarbon - Physical Properties: The physical properties of alkenes and alkynes are generally similar to those of alkanes or cycloalkanes with equal numbers of carbon atoms. Alkynes have higher boiling points than alkanes or alkenes, because the electric field of an alkyne, with its increased number of weakly held π electrons, is more easily ...
Olefin | Description, Characteristics, & Types | Britannica
2024年10月10日 · olefin, compound made up of hydrogen and carbon that contains one or more pairs of carbon atoms linked by a double bond. Olefins are examples of unsaturated hydrocarbons (compounds that contain only hydrogen and carbon and at least one double or triple bond).
Hydrocarbon - Chemical Reactions | Britannica
2024年9月14日 · Hydrocarbon - Chemical Reactions: As is true for all hydrocarbons, alkanes burn in air to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) and release heat. The combustion of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane is expressed by the following chemical equation: The fact that all hydrocarbon combustions are exothermic is responsible for their widespread use as fuels.
Fossil fuel | Meaning, Types, & Uses | Britannica
4 天之前 · Fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material of biological origin that can be burned for energy. Fossil fuels, which include coal, petroleum, and natural gas, supply the majority of all energy consumed in industrially developed countries.
Aromatic compound | Aromatic hydrocarbons, Benzene, Cyclic …
aromatic compound, any of a large class of unsaturated chemical compounds characterized by one or more planar rings of atoms joined by covalent bonds of two different kinds. The unique stability of these compounds is referred to as aromaticity.
How does the use of hydrocarbons affect global warming and …
Hydrocarbons make up fossil fuels. One of the main by-products of fossil fuel combustion is carbon dioxide (CO 2). The ever-increasing use of fossil fuels in industry, transportation, and construction has added large amounts of CO 2 to Earth’s atmosphere.