How is an alkane turned into an alkene or an alkyne?

Answer 1

By converting a single bond to a double or triple bond, respectively.

To do this, you would usually have to remove a hydrogen from each side of the bond for each extra bond.

Answer 2

You really should be doing your homework yourself, you know. Organic Chemistry is hard stuff, but you won't learn it if we answer all the questions for you. Knowing the definition of alkene and alkyne and knowledge of the structures involved (double and triple bonds), you should be able to figure out how the transformation takes place. If you want to write a specific reaction like elimination or dehydrogenation, you need to post more details in your question. Tell us what the reactants and product are supposed to be and we can help you understand the reaction process. Otherwise you're asking something you should already know (essentially the definition of the words alkene and alkyne).

Answer 3

Everyone's else here's right. Losing Hydrogens along with usually halogens, hydroxides, or other hydrogens (chemists also play with deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen). As in real reactions, you usually use a strong base like NaNH2 in liquid ammonia to remove leaving groups. Brush up on E1 E2 for more relatively simple ways to remove leaving groups.

Answer 4

pulling a hydrogen off and a halide normally works. which is a elimination reaction.

Answer 5

Elimination reactions! Woohoo!
There are dehydration reactions...
There are dehydrohalogenation reactions...

Can we be more specific please? There are a bunch of these.
Ya want E1? E2?
Take your pick....