Open-chain compound

An open-chain compound has atoms connected in one or more chains rather than forming a ring. Its chains may be straight or branched.

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Acyclic compound: A compound whose molecular structure contains no ring. Open-chain compounds are acyclic, though the broader category also includes structures that are not described as chains.
Cyclic compound: A compound whose molecular structure contains at least one ring of bonded atoms. Its atoms close into a ring instead of remaining in an open chain.
Alkane: A saturated hydrocarbon containing only carbon–carbon single bonds. Open-chain alkanes are a major family of acyclic compounds.
Conformational isomerism: Isomerism arising from different spatial arrangements produced by rotation around single bonds. Open chains can adopt many conformations without breaking their bonds.
Carbon chain: A sequence of carbon atoms connected by covalent bonds. Carbon chains form the backbones of many open-chain organic compounds.
Cycloalkane: A saturated hydrocarbon containing one or more carbon rings. Cycloalkanes are cyclic counterparts to open-chain alkanes.
Alkene: A hydrocarbon containing at least one carbon–carbon double bond. Open-chain alkenes are reactive feedstocks for making polymers and chemicals.
Newman projection: A drawing that shows the relative positions of groups along a viewed carbon–carbon bond. It represents rotations and steric interactions within an open-chain molecule.
Branched-chain compound: A compound whose connected atom chain has one or more branches. Branching is one way an open-chain structure differs from a straight chain.
Aromatic compound: A compound containing a cyclic, conjugated system with unusual electronic stability. Aromatic compounds depend on ring connectivity absent from open chains.