Why do alkanes have low reactivity compared to other hydrocarbons?

Alkanes have low reactivity because they have strong carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds, and no functional groups.

Alkanes are a type of hydrocarbon, which means they are composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The carbon atoms in alkanes are linked by single bonds, forming a chain. This chain can be either straight or branched, but in either case, the carbon-carbon bonds are very strong. Additionally, the carbon-hydrogen bonds in alkanes are also quite strong. This means that it takes a lot of energy to break these bonds, which is why alkanes are less reactive than other types of hydrocarbons.

Another reason for the low reactivity of alkanes is that they do not have any functional groups. Functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. Because alkanes do not have any functional groups, they do not undergo many of the typical chemical reactions that other hydrocarbons do.

For example, alkenes, which are another type of hydrocarbon, have a carbon-carbon double bond. This double bond acts as a functional group, making alkenes much more reactive than alkanes. The double bond can easily be broken and new atoms can be added to the carbon atoms, leading to a variety of different chemical reactions.

In contrast, the strong single bonds in alkanes do not easily break, and there are no functional groups to facilitate other types of reactions. Therefore, alkanes are generally quite stable and unreactive. They will react under certain conditions, such as with a sufficient amount of heat or in the presence of a catalyst, but these reactions are less common and slower than those of other hydrocarbons.