Flexi Says: An alkane is a hydrocarbon in which there are only single covalent bonds. The simplest alkane is methane, with the molecular formula CH4. The carbon is the central atom and makes four single covalent bonds to hydrogen atoms. An alkene is a hydrocarbon with one or more carbon-carbon double covalent bonds. The simplest alkene is composed of two carbon atoms and is called ethene (shown below). Each carbon is bonded to two hydrogen atoms in addition to the double bond between them. An alkyne is a hydrocarbon with one or more carbon-carbon triple covalent bonds. The simplest alkyne consists of two carbon atoms and is called ethyne (common name: acetylene).
