Hydrocarbons are

Hydrocarbons are

• A. Only methane
• B. Methane, propane, VOCs
• C. Methane and ethane
• D. VOCs and CO2 only

Answer: (B)

Hydrocarbons are molecules that contain only carbon and hydrogen. Methane and propane are classic examples of hydrocarbons, with simple formulas CH4 and C3H8. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are organic compounds that vaporize readily at room temperature; many hydrocarbons are VOCs, so they fall under this broader, fuzzy category as well. Carbon dioxide, by contrast, contains carbon but no hydrogen and is not a hydrocarbon, and it isn’t classified as a VOC. That makes the option listing methane and propane as hydrocarbons and also including VOCs the best match, since it reflects that hydrocarbons are a subset of volatile organic compounds in common discussions.

Hydrocarbons are molecules that contain only carbon and hydrogen. Methane and propane are classic examples of hydrocarbons, with simple formulas CH4 and C3H8. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are organic compounds that vaporize readily at room temperature; many hydrocarbons are VOCs, so they fall under this broader, fuzzy category as well. Carbon dioxide, by contrast, contains carbon but no hydrogen and is not a hydrocarbon, and it isn’t classified as a VOC. That makes the option listing methane and propane as hydrocarbons and also including VOCs the best match, since it reflects that hydrocarbons are a subset of volatile organic compounds in common discussions.