ABSTRACT
Hydrocarbons are an extremely important family of molecules. Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, and all the materials derived from crude oil, such as gasoline, fuel oil, lubricating oils, and jet fuel are refined mixtures of hydrocarbons. The simplest type of hydrocarbon is called an alkane. Alkanes consist strictly of carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen (C-C and C-H) single bonds. The easiest way to envision the bending vibrations of a methyl group is to imagine the C-H bonds as the ribs of an umbrella. An estimate of hydrocarbon chain length can be made from examining infrared spectra. The isopropyl group consists of two methyl groups attached to a carbon that also has a C-H bond. Branched and unbranched alkanes can have the same molecular formula. Because of their difference in chemical structure, isomers have different chemical properties, different physical properties, and different infrared spectra. The C-H stretching region of isooctane bears study.
