Which carbon compound is characterized by a double bond between two carbon atoms?

The presence of a double bond between two carbon atoms is a defining feature of alkenes. This structure allows alkenes to exhibit unique chemical properties compared to other types of hydrocarbons. Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons, meaning they contain fewer hydrogen atoms than their saturated counterparts due to the presence of the double bond. This double bond is able to participate in addition reactions, making alkenes reactive compounds in organic synthesis.

In contrast, alkanes are characterized by single bonds only and thus do not contain double bonds. Alkynes, on the other hand, feature triple bonds between carbon atoms, which is a distinct structural arrangement not applicable to the compound in this query. Saturated hydrocarbons refer to compounds with no double or triple bonds—so such compounds would not contain any double bonds and would thus not fit the requirement of having a double bond between carbon atoms.

Hence, alkenes are the specific group of hydrocarbons that fulfill the criteria of having a double bond between two carbon atoms.