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The alkanes, alkenes and cycloalkanes are examples of homologous series. A homologous series is a group of chemicals which have similar chemical properties and can be represented by a general formula.

An alcohol is a carbon compound which contains the hydroxyl group. Alcohols are used as fuels and solvents. Carboxylic acids are used in the preparation of soaps, medicines and preservatives.

When fuels burn they release heat energy and light energy to the surroundings in exothermic reactions known as combustion reactions. The energy released can be calculated using the equation Eh=cm∆T.