what is a hydrocarbon

A hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are the principal constituents of petroleum and natural gas, and they serve as fuels and lubricants as well as raw materials for the production of plastics, fibers, rubbers, solvents, explosives, and industrial chemicals. Hydrocarbons are generally colorless and can be either linear or branched species. They can be classified into two main groups: aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Aliphatic hydrocarbons are divided into three main groups according to the types of bonds they contain: alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes. Alkanes have only single bonds, alkenes contain a carbon-carbon double bond, and alkynes contain a carbon-carbon triple bond. The simplest hydrocarbon is methane, CH4, which is the simplest member of a series of hydrocarbons called alkanes (CnH2n+2) . Each successive member of the series has one more carbon atom than the preceding member. The lighter ones are gases and used as fuels, while the middle ones (7 carbons to 12 carbons) are liquids used in petrol (gasoline), and the higher ones are waxy solids.