Talk:Hydrocarbon/Archives/2014

Extraterrestrial hydrocarbons
"13 February 2008, Saturn’s orange moon Titan has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth, according to new Cassini data. The hydrocarbons rain from the sky, collecting in vast deposits that form lakes and dunes."

I think this page needs to have a section on extraterrestrial hydrocarbons as these are being discovered in very large quantities.

Bromels (talk) 16:32, 13 January 2013 (UTC)
 * See new section, with comparable date-time stamp, calling for valid citations for this information, and other comments about the shortcomings of the current section where the information based on the Cassini-Huygens mission currently appear. Le Prof Leprof 7272 (talk) 01:55, 20 May 2014 (UTC)

Section lacking citations annotated
Also, note, the section content appears a hodgepodge, and the section's material is not encyclopedic at present. E.g., "Hydrocarbons are [not] hydrophobic like lipids". This would be nearer acceptable if stated in opposite order. However, better would be: Hydrocarbons are apolar and exhibit the hydrophobic effect. Lipids, which contain hydrocarbon chains, are all amphiphilic to greater or lessor degree, depending on the extent to which the polarity of the hydrocarbon chains is counterbalanced by polar functional groups (minimally, in triglycerides, substantially in phospholipids and other polar lipids). Le Prof Leprof 7272 (talk) 01:33, 20 May 2014 (UTC)

Citation moved here, as unacceptable scientific source
The following citation will be useful to find the name of the scientists involved with this finding, and to followup in providing an acceptable reputable secondary scientific source. (A news report is not an acceptable scientific source, except to report that the discovery is considered newsworthy.) Acceptable secondary sources are reviews, book chapters, monographs, etc., making clear that the reported observation reflects a significant observation and/or the preponderance of scientific persecutive on the matter, and placing the discovery in critical context. Here is the citation, on hydrocarbon lakes on Titan, that was moved here (leading < removed): Le Prof Leprof 7272 (talk) 01:42, 20 May 2014 (UTC)
 * ref>'Proof' of methane lakes on Titan, BBC News, 4 January 2007

Images
I think we should delete the photo of an oil refinery, or at least it move it down the article somewhat. An oil refinery is not a hydrocarbon, it's just one part of one aspect of the harnessing of hydrocarbons. We should have a picture of some hydrocarbons, preferably both models of molecules and photos of some bulk samples. I'm thinking of a propane cylinder, a beaker of liquid hexane and some wax.

What do you guys think?

Ben 20:43, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

The image of ethanol burning does not feature any hydrocarbons. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.70.98.21 (talk) 12:27, 8 September 2014 (UTC)