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Which type of carbon-carbon bond occurs in an alkene?
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hydrocarbon
Structures assumed by hydrogen (H) and carbon (C) molecules in four common hydrocarbon compounds.
Alkenes are characterized by the presence of a carbon-carbon double bond.123
This double bond is a type of covalent bond composed of two distinct components:45
- Sigma () bond: One pair of shared electrons forms a bond, which serves as the primary connection between the carbon atoms.243
- Pi () bond: The second pair of electrons occupies regions above and below the plane of the bond, forming a pi () bond.245
Because this double bond contains a bond, which is a region of increased electron density, alkenes are considered unsaturated hydrocarbons. These electrons are more distant from the carbon nuclei than those in the bond, making them more reactive and susceptible to addition reactions.1234