

n chemistry, a homologous series is a group of compounds that share the same basic chemical makeup, but differ in the number of iterations of a certain aspect of their structure. Homologous series are referenced frequently in organic chemistry, where compounds can differ by the length of their carbon chain. These differences can have an effect on the physical properties of the chemicals, such as boiling point.
The defining characteristic of a homologous series is a repeating unit. For example, the alkane group contains the CH2 repeating unit. This means that the compounds are identical with the exception of the number of CH2 units in the compound. Organic compounds also have functional groups, which define the basic properties of the compound. All of the compounds in a homologous series have the same functional group, with differing numbers of repeating units.
