A hydrocarbon containing only single bonds between carbon atoms; the simplest type of organic molecule (like methane, ethane, or gasoline).
From alkane; possibly from alkali (due to chemical inertness) + -ane suffix (chemistry suffix for saturated hydrocarbons). The -ane suffix became standard for naming simple carbon-hydrogen compounds.
Alkanes power your world—methane heats your home, octane fuels your car, hexane cleans your clothes. These simple molecules made mostly of carbon and hydrogen are literally the fuel that runs civilization!
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