Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Science & Nature / Science / Chemistry / Organic Chemistry / Difference Between Straight and Branched Chain Alkanes

Difference Between Straight and Branched Chain Alkanes

November 11, 2019 Posted by Madhu

The key difference between straight and branched chain alkanes is that in straight-chain alkanes, all the carbon atoms bond with each other forming a continuous chain whereas branched-chain alkanes have side chains attached to a continuous carbon chain.

Alkanes are hydrocarbon compounds containing carbon and hydrogen atoms with only single bonds between them (no double bonds or triple bonds between carbon atoms). Based on their structure, there are two types of alkanes as straight chain alkanes and branched-chain alkanes.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Straight Chain Alkanes 
3. What are Branched Chain Alkanes 
4. Side by Side Comparison – Straight vs Branched Chain Alkanes in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What are Straight Chain Alkanes?

Straight chain alkanes are hydrocarbon compounds containing a continuous chain of carbon atoms attached with hydrogen atoms. Alkanes are compounds containing only single bonds between carbon atoms. Straight chain alkanes are aliphatic because there are no ring structures or unsaturation in these compounds. Moreover, straight-chain alkanes are saturated compounds as there are no double or triple bonds between carbon atoms.

Key Difference - Straight vs Branched Chain Alkanes

Figure 01: A Straight Chain Alkane Structure

The general molecular formula of these compounds follows the pattern CnH2n+2. There are no side chains or pendant groups attached to the continuous carbon chain of these molecules. When naming a straight chain alkane, we need to use a prefix that specifies the number of carbon atoms present in the molecule and the name ends with “-ane”, which indicates that it is an alkane. For example, the straight-chain alkane having five carbon atoms gets the name “pentane” (pent+ane).

What are Branched Chain Alkanes?

Branched chain alkanes are hydrocarbon compounds containing side groups attached to a continuous carbon chain. These side chains are named as branches. Therefore, these compounds are not linear hydrocarbons. Since they are alkanes, there are no double or triple bonds between carbon atoms. Hence, these molecules are saturated compounds. The branches present in these molecules include methyl, ethyl, propyl, etc.

Difference Between Straight and Branched Chain Alkanes

When naming a branched-chain alkane, the nomenclature system is different than that of straight chain alkane nomenclature. Here, we have to indicate the names of the branches as well. The name of the continuous chain is called the stem name. When naming the branches, we have to use the suffix “–yl” instead of “-ane” along with the number of carbon atoms in the branch. For example, methyl, ethyl, etc. However, naming a large branched-chain alkane is much difficult. Therefore, it is important to remember the following steps;

  1. First, find the longest and continuous carbon chain (stem chain) and name it.
  2. Find the side chains and name them as well.
  3. Give numbers to each carbon atom in a way that side chains get the lowest number.
  4. Write the names of side chains in alphabetical order.
  5. Use a hyphen to separate the numbers of side chains from stem name.
  6. For example, a branched alkane having a methyl group at 2nd carbon of propane molecule gets the name “2-methylpropane”.

What is the Difference Between Straight and Branched Chain Alkanes?

Alkanes are hydrocarbon compounds with carbon and hydrogen atoms having only single bonds between them. Further, there are two types of alkanes as straight-chain alkanes and branched-chain alkanes. The key difference between straight and branched chain alkanes is that in straight-chain alkanes, all the carbon atoms bond with each other forming a continuous chain whereas branched chain alkanes have side chains attached to a continuous carbon chain.

Below infographic shows more details on the difference between straight and branched chain alkanes.

Difference Between Straight and Branched Chain Alkanes in Tabular Form

Summary – Straight vs Branched Chain Alkanes

Alkanes are hydrocarbon compounds containing carbon and hydrogen atoms having only single bonds between them. Based on their structure, there are two types of alkanes as straight-chain alkanes and branched-chain alkanes. The key difference between straight and branched chain alkanes is that in straight-chain alkanes, all the carbon atoms bond with each other forming a continuous chain whereas branched chain alkanes have side chains attached to a continuous carbon chain.

Reference:

1. Helmenstine, Anne Marie. “Branched Chain Alkane Definition.” ThoughtCo, Oct. 1, 2019, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Butan Lewis” By NEUROtiker ⇌ – Own work, Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “IUPAC-alkane-1” By Fvasconcellos 20:04, 8 January 2008 (UTC). Original image by DrBob (talk · contribs). – Vector version of Image:Iupac-alkane-1.png by DrBob (talk · contribs) (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

Related posts:

Difference Between Ethylene Glycol and Diethylene GlycolDifference Between Ethylene Glycol and Diethylene Glycol Key Difference Between Methanoic Acid and Ethanoic AcidDifference Between Methanoic Acid and Ethanoic Acid Difference Between Acetylene and EthyleneDifference Between Acetylene and Ethylene Difference Between Esterification and SaponificationDifference Between Esterification and Saponification Difference Between Cetyl Alcohol and Stearyl AlcoholDifference Between Cetyl Alcohol and Stearyl Alcohol

Filed Under: Organic Chemistry

About the Author: Madhu

Madhu is a graduate in Biological Sciences with BSc (Honours) Degree and currently persuing a Masters Degree in Industrial and Environmental Chemistry. With a mind rooted firmly to basic principals of chemistry and passion for ever evolving field of industrial chemistry, she is keenly interested to be a true companion for those who seek knowledge in the subject of chemistry.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

Difference Between Persons and People

Difference Between Persons and People

Difference Between Controllable and Uncontrollable Cost

Difference Between Controllable and Uncontrollable Cost

Difference Between Endosperm and Perisperm

Difference Between Endosperm and Perisperm

Difference Between CRISPR and RNAi

Difference Between CRISPR and RNAi

Difference Between Vision and Objective

Difference Between Vision and Objective

Latest Posts

  • What is the Difference Between Argumentative and Expository Essay
  • What is the Difference Between Benzophenone-3 and Benzophenone-4
  • What is the Difference Between Lymphokines and Cytokines
  • What is the Difference Between Gastrolyte and Hydralyte
  • What is the Difference Between Avobenzone and Benzene
  • What is the Difference Between Tight Junction and Adherens Junction
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.