Saturated hydrocarbons are the simplest forms of hydrocarbons. Saturated hydrocarbons consist of entire single bonds that remain saturated with hydrogen atoms Meanwhile. Unsaturated hydrocarbons are the group of hydrocarbons composed of double or triple bonds between the carbon atoms.
8 Key Differences Saturated vs Unsaturated Hydrocarbons With Examples
10 Major Differences Unsaturated Hydrocarbons vs Saturated Hydrocarbons
| S.N | Saturated Hydrocarbons | Unsaturated Hydrocarbons |
| 1 | Saturated hydrocarbons are the simplest forms of hydrocarbons. They consist of single bonds that remain saturated with hydrogen atoms. | Meanwhile, Unsaturated hydrocarbons are the group of hydrocarbons and they are composed of double or triple bonds between the carbon atoms. |
| 2 | Saturated hydrocarbons are composed of all single bonds between the carbon atoms. | Unsaturated hydrocarbons are composed of one or more double and triple bonds. |
| 3 | They have a higher concentration of carbon atoms. | They have a lower concentration of carbon atoms. |
| 4 | You can find a higher number of hydrogen atoms. | The number of hydrogen atoms is lower. |
| 5 | Saturated hydrocarbons are comparatively less reactive. | Unsaturated hydrocarbons are more reactive. |
| 6 | Combustion of saturated hydrocarbons produces a blue, non-sooty flame. | Combustion of unsaturated hydrocarbons produces a yellow, sooty flame. |
| 7 | Saturated hydrocarbons include compounds like cycloalkanes and alkanes. | Unsaturated hydrocarbons include compounds like alkynes, alkenes, and aromatic compounds. |
| 8 | Saturated hydrocarbons can be obtained from fossil fuels as well as animal matter. | Unsaturated hydrocarbons are obtained from plant sources and cannot be obtained from fossil or animal matter. |
| Examples | Some examples of saturated hydrocarbons include butane, propane, methane, cyclohexane, etc. | Some examples of unsaturated hydrocarbons include acetylene, benzene, ethane, butadiene, etc. |
Examples of Unsaturated Hydrocarbons
Acetylene
- Acetylene or ethyne is a two-carbon unsaturated hydrocarbon with the molecular and it is one of the examples of unsaturated hydrocarbons.
Examples of Saturated Hydrocarbons
Methane
- Methane is one example of saturated hydrocarbons. It is the simplest aliphatic hydrocarbon consisting of a single carbon atom singly bonded to four hydrogen atoms.
