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Alkene

General Formula: CnH2n, n = 2, 3, 4, ….

Functional Group:

Double Bond
First 3 Members:

Chemical Properties:
MUST Know!

1. Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons.

2. Alkenes are a family of hydrocarbons (compounds containing carbon and hydrogen only)
containing a carbon-carbon double bond. Therefore, alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons.
3. The general formula for alkene is CnH2n where n = 2, 3, ….
4. There is no single carbon alkene because it need at least 2 carbon to form the double bond.
Hence “methene” doesn’t exist.
Naming Alkene

1. As alkane, the name of straight chain alkenes is also made up of two component parts, the
stem and the suffix.
2. We use the same code for the stem, as the alkane.
3. The suffix for alkene is “ene”.
4. Table below shows the molecular formula and name of the first six alkenes.

Formula Name

C2H4 Ethene

C3H6 Propene

C4H8 Butene

C5H10 Pentene

C6H12 Hexene

C7H14 Heptene
Isomerism of Alkenes

1. All the alkenes with 4 or more carbon atoms in them show isomerism.
2. For example, butene has 3 isomer:

Example
Draw the structural formulae for all 5 isomers of pentene.

Answer:
Physical Properties of the Alkenes
1. Alkenes are covalent compounds that consist of simple molecules.
2. The molecules of alkenes are held together by weak Van der Waals forces (intermolecular
forces).
3. As covalent compounds, the physical properties of alkenes are similar to alkanes.
Boiling Points

MUST Know!
The first 3 alkenes are gases.
The Melting and boiling point of alkenes increases as the number of carbon per
molecule increases. (You must also know the explanation).
1. Alkenes have low melting/boiling points, owing to the weak intermolecular force.
2. At room temperature,  ethene, propene and butene exist as gases while pentene to decene
exists as a liquid.
3. As shown in the diagram below, the boiling point of alkenes increases as the number of
carbon atoms per molecule increases.
4. This is because as the number of carbon atoms per molecule of alkene increases, the
molecular size increases, and hence the inter molecular forces increases.
5. As a result, more heat energy is needed to overcome this forces during melting and boiling,
and hence the melting and boiling points increases.
1. As shown in the figure above, alkenes have boiling points lower than the alkanes that have the
same number of carbons in their molecules.
2. This is because alkenes have fewer electrons per molecule compare to
the corresponding alkanes (that have the same number of carbon per molecule).
3. As a result, the intermolecular force in alkenes is lower than the corresponding alkanes.

IMPORTANT to Know!

The strength of the Van der Waals force depends on the number of electrons and
→
the shape of the molecule.More electrons Stronger Van der Waals force

MUST Know!
Alkenes have boiling points lower than the alkanes that have the same number of
carbons in their molecules.

Solubility and Conductivity

1. Like most of the other covalent compound, alkenes are insoluble in water but dissolve in
organic solvents.
2. Alkenes do not conduct electricity, because there are no free moving ions in them.
Density

1. The density of alkenes is low (lower than water).

2. However, the density increases as the number of carbon atoms per molecule increases.

Preparing Alkene
Alkene can be prepared by

1. dehydration of alcohol
2. craking of alkane
Dehydration of Alcohol

When alcohol is heated, it will decompose to form alkene and water. For example, heating ethanol
will produce ethene, heating propanol will produce propene, and so on. This process is called
dehydration of alcohol.
Dehydration of Ethanol 

C2H5OH  →C H2 4 + H2O
 
Dehydration of Propanol

C3H7OH  →C H
3 6 + H2O
Dehydration of Alcohols Using Aluminium Oxide as Catalyst

Catalyst:
Aluminium oxide/ Porcelain chips

Dehydration of alcohols using an acid catalyst

Catalyst:
Sulphuric acid or Phosphoric acid
Temperature: 170°C

Cracking of Alkane

1. Cracking is the name given to breaking up large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller and more
useful bits.
2. This is achieved by using high pressures and temperatures without a catalyst, or lower
temperatures and pressures in the presence of a catalyst.
Example: Cracking of butane

Cracking of butane produces a mixture of methane, ethane, ethene and propene.

Chemical Properties of Alkenes

1. Alkenes are chemically more reactive than alkanes.
2. This because alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons that have a double bond, C=C, between
two carbon atom.
3. Almost all of the chemical reactions of alkene occur at the double bond.
4. Alkenes can undergo:
 a. Combustion reaction
b. Addition reaction
c. Polymerisation reaction

Combustion of Alkenes

1. Like any other hydrocarbons, alkenes burn in air or oxygen.

2. Like alkanes,
1. alkene burns entirely in the sufficient oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.
2. alkene burns incompletely in a limited supply of oxygen to produce carbon monoxide,
carbon (in the form of soot) and water.

Examples
Complete combustion of ethene

C2H4 + 3O2  → 2CO 2 + 2H2O

Incomplete combustion ethene

C2H4 + 2O2  → 2CO + 2H O 2

C2H4 + O2  → 2C + 2H O2
The combustion of alkenes becomes more difficult and produces more soot when the size of the
alkenes molecules increases.
Percentage of Carbon

Example
Find and compare the percentage of carbon of ethene, propene and butene. [Relative atomic
mass: C = 12, H = 1]
Answer:
Percentage of carbon of ethene (C2H4)

Percentage of Carbon

2 (12)
 =  × 100%
2 (12)  + 4 (1)

= 85.7%

Percentage of carbon of propene (C3H6)

Percentage of Carbon

3 (12)
 =  × 100%
3 (12)  + 6 (1)

= 85.7%

Percentage of carbon of butene (C4H8)

Percentage of Carbon

4 (12)
 =  × 100%
4 (12)  + 8 (1)

= 85.7%
Note::
All alkenes have the same percentage of carbon.

Example
Find and compare the percentage of carbon of hexane and hexene.
[Relative atomic mass: C = 12, H = 1]
Answer:
Percentage of carbon of hexane (C6H14)

Percentage of Carbon

6 (12)
 =  × 100%
6 (12)  + 14 (1)

= 83.7%

Percentage of carbon of hexene (C6H12) = 85.7% (Refer to example above)

Note:

1. Percentage of carbon of alkene is higher compare to the alkane that has same number of
carbon per molecule.
2. Therefore, combustion of alkene will produce more sooty flame compared to their
corresponding alkane.
3. Alkenes have a higher percentage of carbon compared to their corresponding alkane.
Addition Reaction of Alkene

1. Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbon, hence they undergo addition reactions.

2. Addition reaction occurs when other atoms are added to each carbon atom of the double bond,
–C=C– to form a single covalent bond.
Example,

Alkenes may undergo the addition reaction with

1. halogen
2. steam
3. hydrogen
4. halogen halide
5. potassium permanganate(VII)
Hydrogenation of Alkenes

1. Alkene can undergo reaction with hydrogen gas.

2. The process is also called hydrogenation.
Equation:

Note:

1. This reaction converts unsaturated hydrocarbon to saturated hydrocarbon.

2. The condition for the reaction:
a. Catalyst: Platinum/nickel
b. Temperature: 180ºC
3. This is the process used to produce margarine.

The reaction of Alkenes with Hydrogen Halide

Alkenes react with hydrogen halides (such as hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide and hydrogen
iodide) at room temperature to produce saturated organic compounds called halogenoalkanes.

Ethene React with Hydrogen Chloride

(Ethene react with hydrogen chloride produces chloroethane.)

Ethene React with Hydrogen Bromide

(Ethene react with hydrogen bromide produces bromoethane.)

Ethene React with Hydrogen Iodide
 (Ethene react with hydrogen iodide produces iodoethane.)

Halogenation of Alkenes

1. Alkenes undergo the addition reaction with a halogen such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine and
iodine.
2. Since this is the reaction with the halogens, hence it is also called the halogenation reaction.
3. The equation below shows the addition reaction between ethene and bromine.

1. When ethane gas is bubbled into bromine liquid, the brown colour bromine turns colourless.
2. The product produced is 1,2-dibromoethane.
3. If chlorine gas is used instead of bromine, the yellow colour of chlorine water will be
decolourised.
Hydration of Alkenes

1. Alkene can react with steam (water) to produce alcohol.

2. This process is an addition reaction.
3. It’s also called the hydration reaction.
4. The equation below shows the addition reaction of ethene with steam.

1. The alkene is converted to become alcohol

2. The condition of the reaction is as below:
a. Catalyst: Phosphoric acid
b. Temperature: 300ºC
c. Pressure: 60 atm
3. Alcohol can be changed back to alkenes through the dehydration reaction.
Oxidation of Alkenes

1. Alkenes can also react with oxidising agents such as potassium permanganate(VII) to
produce a diol.
2. A diol is an alcohol with 2 hydroxyl group (-OH).
3. This process is an addition reaction.
4. Chemical reaction below shows the oxidation reaction (also addition reaction) between
ethene and potassium permanganate(VII).

1. In the reaction, we use the square bracket with an O, [O], to represent the oxidising agent.
2. The product produced is ethan-1,2-diol.
3. During the reaction, the purple colour of acidified potassium manganate (VII) solution change
to colourless.
Polymerisation of Alkenes

1. The polymerisation is a process of combining monomer molecules together in a chemical

reaction to form polymer chains.
2. The molecule of alkenes can combine together through addition reaction to form a long chain
polymer.
3. In the reaction, alkene molecules undergo addition reaction at the temperature of 200°C
and pressure of 1200 atm.
4. Thousands of alkene molecule join together to form a long chain molecule called poly(ethene)
– commonly called polythene.
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Differences Between Alkane and Alkene

Table below shows the difference between alkane and alkene.

Alkane Alkene

General Formula CnH2n+2 CnH2n

Types of hydrocarbon Saturated Unsaturatd

Less sooty flame

Combustion Sootier flame when burn
when burnt

Reaction with bromine No change The reddish brown colour of bromine

liquid observed become colourless

Reaction with potassium No change The purple colour of potassium

manganete(VII) observed manganete(VII) become colourless

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