Alkanes (paraffins), alkenes (olefins), methoxyethane (ethers), and alkynes (acetylenes) form such series in which members differ in mass by 14 atomic mass units. For example, the alkane homologous series begins with methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10), and pentane (C5H12), each member differing from the previous one by a CH2 group (or 14 atomic mass units).
Similarly, there is the alcohol homologous series that starts with methanol (CH4O), ethanol (C2H6O), as primary alcohols, isopropanol (C3H8O) as a simple secondary alcohol, and a simple tertiary alcohol is tert-butanol (C4H10O).
Even while the general formula are the same, they have different structures that can lead the exact same compound to different properties, although they will always present the same chemical properties while as a homologous compound.
Compounds in each set have the same little group of atoms called the functional group. Most chemical properties of organic compounds are due to the presence of the functional group.
| Homologous series | General formula | Example | Functional group |
| Straight Chain Alkanes | CnH2n + 2 (n more than or equal to 1) | CH4, n = 1 | |
| Alkyl | CnH2n + 1 (n more than or equal to 1) | CH3, n = 1 | |
| Alkenes and Cyclic Alkanes | CnH2n (n more than or equal to 2) | C2H4, n = 2 | C = C |
| Alkynes | CnH2n − 2 (n more than or equal to 2) | C2H2, n = 2 | C ≡ C |
| Alcohols | CnH2n + 1OH (n more than or equal to 1) | CH4O, n = 1 | - OH |
| Carboxylic acids | CnH2nO2 (n more than or equal to 1) | CH2O2, n = 1 | - COOH |
| Carbohydrates | Cn(H2O)n (n more than or equal to 1) | C6H12O6 |
A Homologation reaction is any chemical process converting one member of a homologues series to the next.
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Last updated on Tuesday July 22, 2008 at 05:10:31 PDT (GMT -0700)
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Alkanes (paraffins), alkenes (olefins), methoxyethane (ethers), and alkynes (acetylenes) form such series in which members differ in mass by 14 atomic mass units. For example, the alkane homologous series begins with methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10), and pentane (C5H12), each member differing from the previous one by a CH2 group (or 14 atomic mass units).
Similarly, there is the alcohol homologous series that starts with methanol (CH4O), ethanol (C2H6O), as primary alcohols, isopropanol (C3H8O) as a simple secondary alcohol, and a simple tertiary alcohol is tert-butanol (C4H10O).
Even while the general formula are the same, they have different structures that can lead the exact same compound to different properties, although they will always present the same chemical properties while as a homologous compound.
Compounds in each set have the same little group of atoms called the functional group. Most chemical properties of organic compounds are due to the presence of the functional group.
| Homologous series | General formula | Example | Functional group |
| Straight Chain Alkanes | CnH2n + 2 (n more than or equal to 1) | CH4, n = 1 | |
| Alkyl | CnH2n + 1 (n more than or equal to 1) | CH3, n = 1 | |
| Alkenes and Cyclic Alkanes | CnH2n (n more than or equal to 2) | C2H4, n = 2 | C = C |
| Alkynes | CnH2n − 2 (n more than or equal to 2) | C2H2, n = 2 | C ≡ C |
| Alcohols | CnH2n + 1OH (n more than or equal to 1) | CH4O, n = 1 | - OH |
| Carboxylic acids | CnH2nO2 (n more than or equal to 1) | CH2O2, n = 1 | - COOH |
| Carbohydrates | Cn(H2O)n (n more than or equal to 1) | C6H12O6 |
A Homologation reaction is any chemical process converting one member of a homologues series to the next.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Tuesday July 22, 2008 at 05:10:31 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
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