How do you name and draw simple alkanes?

Simple alkanes are named based on the number of carbon atoms they contain and drawn using straight or branched lines.

Alkanes are the simplest family of hydrocarbons - compounds containing carbon and hydrogen. They are named according to the number of carbon atoms in the molecule, using a prefix to indicate this number, followed by the suffix '-ane'. For example, methane has one carbon atom, ethane has two, propane has three, and so on. The prefixes for one to ten carbon atoms are: meth-, eth-, prop-, but-, pent-, hex-, hept-, oct-, non-, and dec-.

To draw simple alkanes, you need to remember that carbon forms four bonds and hydrogen forms one. Methane, the simplest alkane, is drawn as a single carbon atom with four hydrogen atoms attached, forming a tetrahedral shape. For ethane, draw two carbon atoms connected by a single bond, with three hydrogen atoms attached to each carbon. As the number of carbon atoms increases, they form a chain, with hydrogen atoms filling in the remaining bonds.

For branched alkanes, the branches are named based on the number of carbon atoms they contain, using the same prefixes as for the main chain, but with the suffix '-yl'. For example, a branch with one carbon atom is a methyl group. The position of the branch on the main chain is indicated by a number. For example, 2-methylpropane has a methyl group on the second carbon of the propane chain.

Drawing and naming alkanes is a fundamental skill in organic chemistry. It helps you understand the structure and properties of these important compounds.