What type of bonds do saturated hydrocarbons contain?

Saturated hydrocarbons are compounds that consist solely of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) atoms, and they are characterized by having single bonds between the carbon atoms. In these compounds, each carbon atom forms four single covalent bonds, which can be with other carbon atoms or with hydrogen atoms. This structure allows saturated hydrocarbons to achieve maximum hydrogen saturation because there are no multiple bonds, such as double or triple bonds, which would reduce the number of hydrogen atoms that can bond with the carbon atoms.

In contrast, saturated hydrocarbons do not contain double or triple bonds, as these types of bonds are what typically characterize unsaturated hydrocarbons. Unsaturated hydrocarbons include alkenes, which have at least one double bond, and alkynes, which have at least one triple bond. Quadruple bonds are not commonly found in organic chemistry for stable compounds, especially in the context of simple hydrocarbons. Therefore, the presence of only single bonds is what distinguishes saturated hydrocarbons from other types of hydrocarbons.