Final answer:
When a hydrogen atom in an alkane is replaced with a halogen atom, the resulting compound is an alkyl halide or haloalkane.
Step-by-step explanation:
When one hydrogen atom (H) of an alkane (saturated hydrocarbon) is substituted by one halogen atom such as fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), or iodine (I), the compound formed is known as an alkyl halide or haloalkane. These compounds contain one or more halogen atoms that have replaced one or more hydrogen atoms in a hydrocarbon.
The general formula used to represent an alkyl halide is R-X, where R represents the remaining part of the hydrocarbon molecule, and X represents the halogen. An example of such a reaction would be the formation of chloroethane from the addition of a hydrogen halide to an alkene.