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11 grade chemistry others

What is the common name of 2 - methyl - propanal ?

Profile image of Aniket Singh
1 Year agoGrade
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1 Answer

Profile image of Askiitians Tutor Team
1 Year ago

The common name of 2-methylpropanal is isobutyraldehyde.

Explanation:
IUPAC name (2-methylpropanal):

The name suggests that there is a 3-carbon chain (prop-) with an aldehyde group (-al) at the end, making it a propanal.
The "2-methyl" part means that there is a methyl group (-CH₃) attached to the second carbon in the chain.
Common name (isobutyraldehyde):

The structure of 2-methylpropanal consists of a branched chain with a methyl group on the second carbon of the aldehyde group, which is characteristic of an isobutyl group.
Hence, it is commonly referred to as isobutyraldehyde.
Both names refer to the same compound but follow different naming conventions (IUPAC vs. common).