Question

In a saturated hydrocarbon, what are all the bonds?

Answer 1

Hydrocarbons are simple chains or rings or carbon atoms that are linked to each other and hydrogen atoms through covalent bonds. The covalent bond can be a single, double or triple bond and based on the presence of these bonds, a compound is called saturated or unsaturated.

Complete answer:
Carbon is a tetravalent atom belonging to the fourteenth group of the modern periodic table. Its tetravalency, medium electronegativity and stable structure allows it to form multiple bonds with itself and even form long chains or rings. This special ability of carbon is called catenation.
When two carbon atoms share one electron each, a single covalent bond is formed. If the carbon atoms share two electrons each then it is called a double bond and if the carbon atoms share three electrons each it is called a triple bond.
Double bonds and triple bonds are usually formed at an expense of carbon hydrogen bonds. An alkane always contains two extra hydrogen atoms as compared to alkenes and four extra hydrogen atoms as compared to alkynes. Thus alkenes and alkynes are called unsaturated hydrocarbons and alkanes are called saturated hydrocarbons.
Therefore, saturated hydrocarbons only contain single bonds.

Note:
Saturated hydrocarbons can be distinguished from the unsaturated hydrocarbons by a flame test in which unsaturated hydrocarbons always burn with a black sooty flame and saturated hydrocarbons burn with a clear flame.