Difference between Unsaturated and Saturated hydrocarbons | Saturated vs Unsaturated Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are the organic compounds containing carbon and hydrgen only. Hydrocarbons are broadly classified as saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated Hydrocarbon: comprising of alkanes ( also referred to as paraffins). Alkanes have single bond between the carbon atoms and represented by the general formula: Cn H2n+2 

Unsaturated Hydrocarbons: comprising of

a. Alkenes (olefinic compounds with double bonds between adjacent carbon atoms).  

b. Alkynes (compounds with triple bonds between adjacent carbon atoms) 

c. Aryl compounds (aromatic).  

a. Alkanes are saturated, open chain hydrocarbon containing carbon carbon single bonds, e.g., methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), etc. These hydrocarbons are inert under normal conditions. Hence, they were earlier known as paraffins. Alkanes exhibit chain isomerism, position isomerism and conformational isomerism. 

b. Alkenes are unsatuted, non-cyclic hydrocarbons which have sp2 hybridisation with 120 degree bond angle. Alkenes are also called olefins which indicates their high reactive nature.  Alkenes represented by the general formula, CnH2n. Example of Alkenes: Ethene, Propene

c. Alkynes are unsaturated hydrocarbons with general formula CnH2n-2. Alkynes Example: Ethyne, Propyne