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5 Dec 2025
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Hydrocarbons are everywhere around you - from the petrol in... Show more








Hydrocarbons are simply compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms - nothing fancy, but incredibly useful! The simplest type are called alkanes, which follow the formula CnH2n+2.
Think of alkanes as saturated compounds because they only have single bonds between atoms - no room for extras! Common examples include methane (natural gas), ethane, propane (camping gas), and butane (lighter fuel).
Here's where it gets interesting: chain length determines everything. Longer chains are more viscous (thicker), less volatile (don't evaporate easily), and less flammable. Shorter chains are the opposite - thin, evaporate quickly, and highly flammable.
When alkanes undergo complete combustion, they react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and loads of energy. This is exactly why we use them as fuels in everything from cars to central heating!
Quick Tip: Remember that short-chain hydrocarbons make great "bottled gases" because they turn liquid under pressure but become gas again at room temperature.

Crude oil is basically ancient plankton soup - formed millions of years ago when dead plants and animals got squashed under massive pressure and heat. It's a mixture of different hydrocarbons that we separate using fractional distillation.
The process is brilliant in its simplicity: crude oil gets heated until it vaporises, then rises up a column that's hot at the bottom and cool at the top. Different compounds condense at different levels based on their boiling points.
You get useful fractions like LPG (cooking gas), petrol, kerosene (jet fuel), diesel, and heavy fuel oil. Each one has different properties because of their chain lengths.
Cracking solves a major problem - there's more demand for short-chain hydrocarbons than long ones. So we literally break up long chains using either hot aluminium oxide catalysts or steam. This gives us shorter alkanes plus alkenes (bonus products)!
Exam Alert: Remember the four key points for fractional distillation: crude oil is heated, hydrocarbons vaporise, the column has a temperature gradient, and vapours condense when they reach their specific boiling points.

Alkenes are the reactive cousins of alkanes, with the formula CnH2n. They're unsaturated because they contain a C=C double bond - this makes them way more reactive and actually useful for making other compounds.
The double bond is like a chemical target - it opens up to let other atoms join in addition reactions. This is why alkenes decolourise bromine water (a classic test you'll definitely see in exams).
Incomplete combustion happens when there's not enough oxygen around. Instead of clean carbon dioxide, you get nasty carbon monoxide (poisonous!) plus a smoky yellow flame. Much less energy gets released too.
The three main addition reactions are dead easy to remember: hydrogenation (adding hydrogen to make alkanes), halogenation (adding halogens like bromine), and hydration (adding water to make alcohols).
Safety Note: Carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion is deadly because it's colourless and odourless - this is why proper ventilation matters with gas appliances.

Ever wondered how plastic bags are made? It's all about addition polymerisation - taking loads of small alkene molecules (monomers) and joining them into massive chains called polymers.
The process needs pressure and a catalyst, but it's essentially the double bonds opening up and linking together. Thousands of identical units join up to create long polymer chains.
Hydration of alkenes is particularly important because it makes alcohols. Ethene plus steam gives you ethanol - the stuff in alcoholic drinks and hand sanitiser. The products get separated using fractional distillation because they have different boiling points.
The beauty of addition polymerisation is that the polymer is the only product - no waste molecules get produced. This makes it an efficient way to create materials like polythene for shopping bags.
Real World: Most plastic packaging around you started as alkenes that underwent addition polymerisation - from crisp packets to bottle caps.

Alcohols contain the -OH functional group and follow the formula CnH2n+1OH. Common examples include methanol and ethanol (the drinking kind).
They're flammable and undergo complete combustion to produce carbon dioxide and water. Unlike many organic compounds, alcohols dissolve in water and create neutral solutions. When they react with sodium, hydrogen gas gets produced.
There are two main ways to make alcohols: fermentation uses yeast to convert sugar into ethanol at 37ยฐC without oxygen. Steam addition involves reacting alkenes with water to saturate the molecule.
Alcohols can be oxidised to make carboxylic acids - this is actually what happens when wine goes off and becomes vinegary.
Study Tip: Remember that fermentation needs anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions at body temperature, while steam addition is a direct chemical reaction.

Carboxylic acids have the -COOH functional group and act like weak acids - they only partially split into H+ ions in solution. Think vinegar (ethanoic acid) - it's acidic but won't burn through metal like strong acids.
They react with metals to produce salts and hydrogen, plus with metal carbonates to give salts, carbon dioxide, and water. These are the classic acid reactions you'll need for exams.
Esters form when carboxylic acids react with alcohols, producing the -COO- functional group. The reaction needs a sulphuric acid catalyst and produces water as a byproduct.
Esters are brilliant because they're volatile and smell sweet - perfect for perfumes and food flavourings. Ethyl ethanoate (made from ethanoic acid and ethanol) is a common example you'll encounter.
Memory Aid: Think "carboxylic acid + alcohol = ester + water" - and remember that sulphuric acid speeds up the reaction as a catalyst.

Condensation polymerisation is different from addition polymerisation because it involves monomers with different functional groups, and small molecules like water get eliminated each time a bond forms.
Polyester formation uses molecules with two alcohol groups (diols) reacting with molecules having two carboxylic acid groups (dicarboxylic acids). Each -OH reacts with a -COOH to form ester links, releasing water molecules.
Proteins work similarly - they're made from amino acids that have both amino and carboxyl groups. When these react, they form polypeptide chains with water molecules being lost at each connection.
The key difference is that heat is needed to remove the water produced, driving the reaction forward. This creates strong, long-chain polymers used in clothing fibres and biological structures.
Quick Check: If water is produced during polymerisation, it's condensation. If no small molecules are lost, it's addition polymerisation.
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help โ all at your fingertips.
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because itโs too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didnโt even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as Iโm sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH ๐๐๐ฒ๐ค๐โจ๐๐ฎ
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because itโs too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didnโt even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as Iโm sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH ๐๐๐ฒ๐ค๐โจ๐๐ฎ
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
๐
@30624700
Hydrocarbons are everywhere around you - from the petrol in cars to the plastic water bottles you use. They're compounds made only of carbon and hydrogen atoms, forming the backbone of many materials and fuels we rely on daily.

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Hydrocarbons are simply compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms - nothing fancy, but incredibly useful! The simplest type are called alkanes, which follow the formula CnH2n+2.
Think of alkanes as saturated compounds because they only have single bonds between atoms - no room for extras! Common examples include methane (natural gas), ethane, propane (camping gas), and butane (lighter fuel).
Here's where it gets interesting: chain length determines everything. Longer chains are more viscous (thicker), less volatile (don't evaporate easily), and less flammable. Shorter chains are the opposite - thin, evaporate quickly, and highly flammable.
When alkanes undergo complete combustion, they react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and loads of energy. This is exactly why we use them as fuels in everything from cars to central heating!
Quick Tip: Remember that short-chain hydrocarbons make great "bottled gases" because they turn liquid under pressure but become gas again at room temperature.

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Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Crude oil is basically ancient plankton soup - formed millions of years ago when dead plants and animals got squashed under massive pressure and heat. It's a mixture of different hydrocarbons that we separate using fractional distillation.
The process is brilliant in its simplicity: crude oil gets heated until it vaporises, then rises up a column that's hot at the bottom and cool at the top. Different compounds condense at different levels based on their boiling points.
You get useful fractions like LPG (cooking gas), petrol, kerosene (jet fuel), diesel, and heavy fuel oil. Each one has different properties because of their chain lengths.
Cracking solves a major problem - there's more demand for short-chain hydrocarbons than long ones. So we literally break up long chains using either hot aluminium oxide catalysts or steam. This gives us shorter alkanes plus alkenes (bonus products)!
Exam Alert: Remember the four key points for fractional distillation: crude oil is heated, hydrocarbons vaporise, the column has a temperature gradient, and vapours condense when they reach their specific boiling points.

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Improve your grades
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Alkenes are the reactive cousins of alkanes, with the formula CnH2n. They're unsaturated because they contain a C=C double bond - this makes them way more reactive and actually useful for making other compounds.
The double bond is like a chemical target - it opens up to let other atoms join in addition reactions. This is why alkenes decolourise bromine water (a classic test you'll definitely see in exams).
Incomplete combustion happens when there's not enough oxygen around. Instead of clean carbon dioxide, you get nasty carbon monoxide (poisonous!) plus a smoky yellow flame. Much less energy gets released too.
The three main addition reactions are dead easy to remember: hydrogenation (adding hydrogen to make alkanes), halogenation (adding halogens like bromine), and hydration (adding water to make alcohols).
Safety Note: Carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion is deadly because it's colourless and odourless - this is why proper ventilation matters with gas appliances.

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Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Ever wondered how plastic bags are made? It's all about addition polymerisation - taking loads of small alkene molecules (monomers) and joining them into massive chains called polymers.
The process needs pressure and a catalyst, but it's essentially the double bonds opening up and linking together. Thousands of identical units join up to create long polymer chains.
Hydration of alkenes is particularly important because it makes alcohols. Ethene plus steam gives you ethanol - the stuff in alcoholic drinks and hand sanitiser. The products get separated using fractional distillation because they have different boiling points.
The beauty of addition polymerisation is that the polymer is the only product - no waste molecules get produced. This makes it an efficient way to create materials like polythene for shopping bags.
Real World: Most plastic packaging around you started as alkenes that underwent addition polymerisation - from crisp packets to bottle caps.

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Alcohols contain the -OH functional group and follow the formula CnH2n+1OH. Common examples include methanol and ethanol (the drinking kind).
They're flammable and undergo complete combustion to produce carbon dioxide and water. Unlike many organic compounds, alcohols dissolve in water and create neutral solutions. When they react with sodium, hydrogen gas gets produced.
There are two main ways to make alcohols: fermentation uses yeast to convert sugar into ethanol at 37ยฐC without oxygen. Steam addition involves reacting alkenes with water to saturate the molecule.
Alcohols can be oxidised to make carboxylic acids - this is actually what happens when wine goes off and becomes vinegary.
Study Tip: Remember that fermentation needs anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions at body temperature, while steam addition is a direct chemical reaction.

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Carboxylic acids have the -COOH functional group and act like weak acids - they only partially split into H+ ions in solution. Think vinegar (ethanoic acid) - it's acidic but won't burn through metal like strong acids.
They react with metals to produce salts and hydrogen, plus with metal carbonates to give salts, carbon dioxide, and water. These are the classic acid reactions you'll need for exams.
Esters form when carboxylic acids react with alcohols, producing the -COO- functional group. The reaction needs a sulphuric acid catalyst and produces water as a byproduct.
Esters are brilliant because they're volatile and smell sweet - perfect for perfumes and food flavourings. Ethyl ethanoate (made from ethanoic acid and ethanol) is a common example you'll encounter.
Memory Aid: Think "carboxylic acid + alcohol = ester + water" - and remember that sulphuric acid speeds up the reaction as a catalyst.

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Condensation polymerisation is different from addition polymerisation because it involves monomers with different functional groups, and small molecules like water get eliminated each time a bond forms.
Polyester formation uses molecules with two alcohol groups (diols) reacting with molecules having two carboxylic acid groups (dicarboxylic acids). Each -OH reacts with a -COOH to form ester links, releasing water molecules.
Proteins work similarly - they're made from amino acids that have both amino and carboxyl groups. When these react, they form polypeptide chains with water molecules being lost at each connection.
The key difference is that heat is needed to remove the water produced, driving the reaction forward. This creates strong, long-chain polymers used in clothing fibres and biological structures.
Quick Check: If water is produced during polymerisation, it's condensation. If no small molecules are lost, it's addition polymerisation.
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help โ all at your fingertips.
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because itโs too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didnโt even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as Iโm sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH ๐๐๐ฒ๐ค๐โจ๐๐ฎ
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because itโs too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didnโt even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as Iโm sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH ๐๐๐ฒ๐ค๐โจ๐๐ฎ
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user