C2H6, commonly known as ethane, is a simple hydrocarbon made up of two carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms. It is a colorless, odorless gas at room temperature and is primarily found in natural gas. Ethane is often used as a fuel and as a building block for producing other chemicals, such as ethylene, which is important in making plastics. In the chemical structure of ethane, the carbon atoms are bonded to each other and to hydrogen atoms, forming a stable molecule. Ethane is part of a larger family of compounds called alkanes, which are saturated hydrocarbons. This means they contain only single bonds between carbon atoms, making them less reactive than other types of hydrocarbons.