Chemical reaction of alkanes

Initially, we will be concerned with the physical properties of alkanes and how these properties can be correlated by the important concept of homology. This will be followed by a brief survey of the occurrence and uses of hydrocarbons, with special reference to the petroleum industry. Chemical reactions of alkanes then will be discussed, with special emphasis on combustion and substitution reactions. These reactions are employed to illustrate how we can predict and use energy changes — particularly AH, the heat evolved or absorbed by a reacting system, which often can be estimated from bond energies. Then we consider some of the problems involved in predicting reaction rates in the context of a specific reaction, the chlorination of methane. The example is complex, but it has the virtue that we are able to break the overall reaction into quite simple steps. 

---