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General Science • ChemistryEasy

What is the IUPAC name of the compound commonly known as formaldehyde?

A. Ethanol
B. Methanal✓ Correct Answer
C. Propanal
D. Ethanal

💡 Solution & Explanation

Formaldehyde is the trivial name for the simplest aldehyde, which has the IUPAC systematic name methanal based on its single carbon atom chain. Alternatives such as ethanal and propanal correspond to aldehydes containing two and three carbon atoms respectively. It finds extensive use in aqueous solutions as a biological preservative known as formalin.

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