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alkane
This term describes a specific class of organic compounds characterized by their saturation, meaning they contain no double or triple bonds between carbon atoms. It carries a neutral, technical connotation used primarily in chemistry and materials science to categorize the simplest hydrocarbons.
As a technical noun, it follows standard English countability rules for chemical species. While it refers to a general category of molecules, it is treated as a countable entity when discussing different types of alkanes, such as methane or ethane.
Meanings
Examples
This is an alkane.
That alkane is gas.
The alkane is clear.
Methane is a common alkane.
He studied the alkane chain.
The alkane reacted slowly.
We learned about the alkane series in chemistry class.
The detective found traces of a liquid alkane at the scene.
The potion contained a strange, glowing alkane derivative.
The company patented a new method for synthesizing a specific alkane.
Historically, the discovery of the first alkane revolutionized organic chemistry.
It is a known trivia fact that methane is the simplest alkane.