Propane

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A picture to show simply how the atoms may fill space. The atoms are coloured: black is carbon and the white is hydrogen.
A picture to show simply how the atoms may fill space. The atoms are coloured: black is carbon and the white is hydrogen.

Propane is an alkane (or saturated hydrocarbon). An alkane is a molecule composed of the chemical elements hydrogen and carbon. Propane has three carbon atoms and eight hydrogen atoms, so its molecular formula is C3H8.

It begins to burn very quickly. Its melting temperature is −187,7 °C; its boiling temperature is −42 °C; its density is 1,83 g/l.

Propane is extracted from natural gasoline or from petroleum.