of nomenclature. They are sometimes referred to as aliphatic compounds because animal fats contain long carbon chains similar to alkanes (41). Alkyl halides, alcohols, ethers, thiols, and sulfides all have a carbon atom with a single bond to an electronegative atom (halogen, oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur). Alkenes, alkynes, and arenes (aromatic compounds) all have carbon-carbon multiple bonds. Isomers are compounds which have the same chemical formula but different structure, and are found for all but the very simple alkanes (42). Butane and isobutane have the same formula but have their atoms connected together differently, and are called constitutional isomers. Functional groups with a carbon-oxygen double bond are known as carbonyl groups.
Carbon-carbon bonds formed by head-on orbital overlap are able to rotate, and so alkanes can adopt any of a large number of interconverting conformations. A staggered conformation is a more stable conformation than an eclipsed conformation. The cycloalkanes have a ring structure formed by carbon atoms, an
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