Alkyl

Different ways of drawing the structure of the isobutyl group, an alkyl group with branches.

Alkyl is a group of chemicals with carbon atoms. They are like alkanes but they have one fewer hydrogen atom. An alkyl is a piece of a molecule that makes it do or act a certain way. Alkyls have only carbon and hydrogen atoms, which can be one long chain or have multiple branches.

Alkyl groups have the formula C
nH
2n+1, where n can be any whole number so long as it is the same one. (For example, if there are two carbons, there must be five hydrogens because 2*2+1=5.)