Which of the following best represents the four main alkanes in increasing order from one carbon to eight carbons?

• A. Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane
• B. Butane, Pentane, Hexane, Heptane
• C. Hexane, Heptane, Octane, Nonane
• D. Methane, Ethane, Octane, Nonane

Answer: (A)

The four main alkanes, which are saturated hydrocarbons, are defined by having single bonds between carbon atoms and the simple formula CnH2n+2. They represent the simplest members of the alkane family, and their names reflect their respective carbon counts in ascending order.

Starting with one carbon, the smallest alkane is methane (CH₄). As we move up in carbon count, the next alkane is ethane (C₂H₆) with two carbons, followed by propane (C₃H₈) with three carbons, and then butane (C₄H₁₀) with four carbons. This sequence clearly demonstrates the systematic organization of alkanes based solely on their carbon content, which is critical in organic chemistry for identifying and naming compounds differentiating alkanes from other types of hydrocarbons.

The other answer choices contain alkanes, but they either skip some of the initial alkanes or include alkanes that are not the immediate successors in the series. Therefore, the answer capturing all four main alkanes in the correct ascending order is the one indicating methane, ethane, propane, and butane.