superlong alkane

Alkanes are hydrocarbons with only single bonds, following the formula C_nH_{2n + 2}. The simplest are methane (CH₄), ethane (C₂H₆), and propane (C₃H₈). As the number of carbon atoms increases, so does the number of possible structural arrangements, called isomers. For example, C₄H₁₀ can exist as n-butane (a straight chain) or isobutane (a branched chain). "Superlong alkanes" are those with a very large number of carbon atoms, such as CH₃(CH₂)₃₈₈CH₃, which has 390 carbons in a continuous chain. These compounds are typically found in natural gas and petroleum.123