Alkanes and alkenes are hydrocarbons.

Alkanes contain only single bonds between the carbon atoms

while alkenes contain at ease one double bond between the carbon atoms.

The presence of the double bond in alkenes makes them more reactive than alkanes. This higher
reactivity of the alkenes over alkanes allows us to distinguish them.

In method 1, the reagent used to distinguish between the hydrocarbons was bromine. Bromine is a
diatomic element. The bromine molecule has a partial positive charge and a partial negative charge. This
is due to the shifting of electron density within the molecule as the electrons move over time. The
molecule becomes polarized when it approaches the double bon of the alkene which is electron dense.

Since bromine is an electrophilic species, it attacks the double bond of the alkene, accepts and electron
and forms a bond between one of the carbon atoms (i.e. a C-Br bond is formed). A halo alkane is formed
from this electrophilic addition reaction. The bromine loses its original red-brown colour to give a
colorless liquid (halo alkane). This observation was made with hydrocarbon -

Alkanes do not have enough electrons to undergo halogenation without additional energy. Hence they
do not react with bromine unless there is the presence of UV light (N.B there was not sufficient UV light
provided for the reaction to occur). The solution would remain a red-brown colour. This was observed
for hydrocarbon –

Alkenes react with potassium manganate (VII) solution in the cold. If the potassium manganate (VII)
solution is acidified with dilute sulphuric acid, the purple solution becomes colourless. Manganate (VII)
ions are a strong oxidising agent, and in the first instance oxidise to a diol. The reaction of the alkenes
with acidified potassium manganate (VII) involves both addition across the double bond and oxidation.
The products of the reaction are alkanediols

Alkanes are not oxidized by potassium manganate (VII) because of the entire have very strong bonds
that cannot be easily oxidized.