What is the main characteristic of saturated hydrocarbons?

The main characteristic of saturated hydrocarbons is that they are composed solely of single bonds. This means that the carbon atoms in saturated hydrocarbons are connected by single covalent bonds, allowing them to achieve the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms attached to their carbon skeletons. As a result, these compounds have the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is the number of carbon atoms.

Saturated hydrocarbons, such as alkanes, do not contain double or triple bonds, which distinguishes them from unsaturated hydrocarbons that do include these types of bonds (like alkenes and alkynes). The presence of only single bonds makes saturated hydrocarbons generally less reactive than their unsaturated counterparts because they lack the functional groups associated with double and triple bonds that often participate in chemical reactions. This lower reactivity is a significant factor in organic chemistry, especially when considering the stability and types of reactions that these compounds can undergo.