What are the tests for alkanes?

1 Answer
Nam D.
Feb 7, 2018

Use bromine water.

Explanation:

There is a test to differentiate between alkanes and alkenes.

Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, which only contain single bonds, while alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons, and contain only double bonds.

When bromine water is added to an alkane solution and shaken, it will still be brown, and no reaction happens. But when bromine water is added to an alkene and shaken, the resulting solution turns colourless. That is one test to distinguish between alkanes and alkenes.

Here is a picture to help you visualize:

https://sites.google.com/site/internationalgcsechemistry/year-11-topics/crude-oil/3---catalytic-cracking

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