Hydrocarbons are defined within organic chemistry as a homologous series of compounds composed exclusively of carbon and hydrogen atoms that exhibit consistent structural patterns and similar chemical properties due to their shared functional groups. The core theoretical principle involves the classification of these substances into distinct families—alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes—based on specific bonding configurations (single, double, or triple bonds between carbon atoms) which determine their general molecular formulas and systematic nomenclature according to IUPAC standards.
Prerequisite chain context: requires Triple-Bond Structures in Alkynes.