hiA '''hydrocarbon''' (HC) is a substance that is made of [[carbon]] and [[hydrogen]] in the gaseous, liquid, or solid phase. The molecular structure of hydrocarbon compounds varies from the simplest to the very heavy and very complex. The first structures are [[methane]], [[ethane]], [[propane]] (used for fuel), [[butane]] (used in lighters), pentane, hexane, heptane, and [[octane]]. [[Fossil fuels]], thought by [[liberal]]s to cause [[global warming]], are comprised of HCs. Hydrocarbons can be divided into saturated, unsaturated and [[Aromatic ring|aromatic]] hydrocarbons. Saturated hydrocarbons contain only single bonds. They are called [[alkane]]s. Unsaturated hydrocarbons contain double bounds ([[alkene]]s) or triple bounds ([[alkyne]]s). HCs are highly flammable, and are the primary components of [[natural gas]] and [[petroleum]] (fuel). HCs are also useful to manufacturing plastics, solvents, rubbers, and a variety of chemicals used in industrial production.[[Category:Organic Chemistry]]