Final answer:
The alkanes described are methane, ethane, propane, and butane, each with an increasing number of carbon atoms and corresponding hydrogen atoms, displaying tetrahedral geometry and single covalent bonds.
Step-by-step explanation:
The task presented in the question involves matching alkane names with their corresponding ball-and-stick molecular models. Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons that consist only of single covalent bonds between carbon atoms. Methane has a simple tetrahedral structure with one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. In the case of ethane, it consists of two carbon atoms, each bonded to three hydrogen atoms, resulting in a total of six hydrogen atoms bonded to the carbon chain. Propane adds another carbon to the chain, making three carbon atoms with a total of eight hydrogen atoms. Finally, butane is a slightly longer hydrocarbon with four carbon atoms and ten hydrogen atoms.
The models described in the question showcase the tetrahedral geometry of methane with four bonds indicating a single carbon connecting to four hydrogens. Ethane would be represented as two carbon atoms single-bonded together with each bonding to three hydrogens. Propane's model would have three carbon atoms connected in a chain, each with the appropriate number of hydrogen bonds. Butane's model with four carbons would continue this pattern with each carbon single-bonded to the appropriate number of hydrogen atoms to maintain four bonds per carbon atom.
Understanding these structures is key in the study of organic chemistry and in the interpretation and drawing of chemical structures.