A special structure in organic chemistry containing single carbon bonded ring(s); cyclic alkanes. A way to imagine a cyclic alkane is to take a simple alkane chain, CH3(CH2)nCH3, and have the two terminal methyl groups meet, bending the chain, creating a ring. The shape of ring is completely dependent on the number of carbon atoms the ring contains. Example: cyclopropane (three carbons, therefore three vertices) is a triangle. Cyclohexane (6) would be a hexagon (on a plane, in space however the joints are kinked).
cyclopropane, cyclobutane, cyclohexane, cycloalkanes
by DaraDDS May 30, 2009