alleryThe IUPAC name of the simplest aldehyde, $\mathrm{HCHO}$, is
Amethanal
Bmethanol
Cmethanoic acid
Dethanal
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. methanal
1. Your syllabus: the IUPAC name of an aldehyde is formed by replacing the '-e' of the parent alkane with '-al'.
2. $\mathrm{HCHO}$ has ONE carbon atom (the parent alkane is methane). Adding the '-al' suffix gives METHANAL.
3. Common name: formaldehyde.
4. Distractors: methanol (option B) is $\mathrm{CH_3OH}$, an alcohol. Methanoic acid (option C) is $\mathrm{HCOOH}$, the carboxylic acid form. Ethanal (option D) is $\mathrm{CH_3CHO}$, the TWO-carbon aldehyde.
_Source: syllabus Chemistry Part 2, Ch 8 "Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids", §8.1.1 (Nomenclature, IUPAC rules), p. 1–2._
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