Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons. They contain a double covalent bond, which is shown as two lines between two of the cabron atoms. The presence of this double bond allows alkenes to react in ways that alkanes cannot .
They can react with oxygen in the air, so they could be used as fuels. But they are more useful than that; they can be used to make ethanol and polymers - two crucial products in today's world.
Testing for unsaturation
Bromine water is dilute solution of bromine, normally orange-brown in colour. It becomes colourless when shaken with an alkene, but its colour remains the same when it is shaken with alkanes.
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