Identify the functional group in acetaldehyde (CH3CHO).

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Multiple Choice

Identify the functional group in acetaldehyde (CH3CHO).

Explanation:
The key idea is identifying an aldehyde by its carbonyl carbon being bonded to a hydrogen. In acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), the carbonyl carbon is double-bonded to oxygen and single-bonded to a hydrogen as well as to a carbon (the methyl group). This terminal position with a hydrogen attached defines the aldehyde group, often written as -CHO. The other possibilities don’t fit: a carboxyl group would require -COOH, including an -OH; a ketone would have two carbon substituents on the carbonyl carbon (not a hydrogen); an alcohol would have an -OH group.

The key idea is identifying an aldehyde by its carbonyl carbon being bonded to a hydrogen. In acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), the carbonyl carbon is double-bonded to oxygen and single-bonded to a hydrogen as well as to a carbon (the methyl group). This terminal position with a hydrogen attached defines the aldehyde group, often written as -CHO. The other possibilities don’t fit: a carboxyl group would require -COOH, including an -OH; a ketone would have two carbon substituents on the carbonyl carbon (not a hydrogen); an alcohol would have an -OH group.

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