What is the general formula for alkanes?

The general formula for alkanes is represented as CnH2n + 2. Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, meaning that they contain only single bonds between carbon atoms and are fully saturated with hydrogen atoms. The 'n' in the formula represents the number of carbon atoms in the alkane.

In this formula, the Cn part indicates that there are 'n' carbon atoms, and the H2n + 2 part indicates that for every carbon atom, there are twice as many hydrogen atoms plus an additional two. This reflects the way alkanes are structured. For instance, if you have one carbon atom (n=1), the formula would yield C1H2(1) + 2 = C1H4, which is methane, the simplest alkane.

This structure is consistent across all alkanes, regardless of the number of carbon atoms. Thus, the formula CnH2n + 2 is crucial for identifying and predicting the properties and behaviors of various alkanes in chemical reactions.