In organic nomenclature, what does the suffix “-ane” signify?

The suffix “-ane” is used in organic nomenclature to identify saturated hydrocarbons, specifically alkanes. Alkanes are hydrocarbons that contain only single bonds between carbon atoms, indicating the maximum number of hydrogen atoms that can be bonded to the carbon chain. By definition, saturated compounds do not contain any double or triple bonds, which makes them more stable and less reactive than their unsaturated counterparts.

Saturated alkanes have the general formula CnH2n+2, which reflects this saturation with hydrogen. The presence of the “-ane” suffix specifically denotes that the compound is an alkane, distinguishing it from other types of hydrocarbons, such as alkenes (with double bonds) and alkynes (with triple bonds), which would use “-ene” and “-yne” respectively. This helps in understanding the structure and chemical properties of the compound being represented.