What compound is classified as an alkane?

Alkanes are a specific type of hydrocarbon characterized by having only single bonds between carbon atoms, and they follow the general formula CnH2n+2, where n represents the number of carbon atoms.

In this case, the compound C4H10 fits perfectly into the alkane category. Here, if we substitute n with 4 (since there are 4 carbon atoms), we calculate the hydrogen atoms as follows: 2(4) + 2, which equals 10. Thus, C4H10 conforms to the alkane formula, demonstrating its classification as a saturated hydrocarbon with no double or triple bonds.

The other compounds listed do not fulfill the criteria for alkanes due to the presence of double bonds or an insufficient number of hydrogen atoms as per the alkane formula. For instance, C2H4 (ethylene) and C3H6 (propene) both contain double bonds, while C5H12, despite having the correct number of hydrogens for being an alkane, represents a higher hydrocarbon in the series rather than fulfilling the question's requirement to select the lowest alkane. Thus, while C5H12 is indeed an alkane, the correct choice in the context