Alkanes are also referred to as............. and have the general formula …… .

Explanation

To answer the question regarding alkanes, we can break it down into two parts: what they are referred to as and their general formula.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify what alkanes are referred to as:**
- Alkanes are also referred to as **paraffins**. This term is used because alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons with single bonds between carbon atoms and have relatively low reactivity.

2. **Determine the general formula for alkanes:**
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