Saturated & Unsaturated Compounds (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Combined Science): Revision Note

Saturated & unsaturated Compounds

What are saturated compounds?

• Saturated compounds are molecules with only single carbon-carbon bonds (C-C)

  • Each carbon atom has 4 single bonds to another atoms

• Alkanes are examples of saturated compounds  

• Alkanes have the general formula C_nH_2n+2

• The first three alkanes are:

1. Methane, CH₄

2. Ethane, C₂H₆

3. Propane, C₃H₈

What are unsaturated compounds?

• Unsaturated compounds are molecules with one or more carbon-carbon double bonds (C=C)

  • Each carbon atom has 4 bonds to other atoms

  • But, one bond is a double bond

• Alkenes are examples of unsaturated compounds  

• Alkenes have the general formula C_nH_2n

• The first three alkenes are:

1. Ethene, C₂H₄

2. Propene, C₃H₆

3. Butene, C₄H₈