The IUPAC name of `CH_(3)CHO` is

Options

A. acetaldehyde
B. methanal
C. ethanal
D. formaldehyde

Explanation

To determine the IUPAC name of the compound `CH₃CHO`, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Structure**: The given compound `CH₃CHO` consists of two carbon atoms. The structure can be represented as:
```
H O
| ||
H - C - C - H
|
H
```
Here, `CH₃` represents a methyl group and `CHO` represents an aldehyde functional group.

2. **Determine the Parent Chain**: The longest continuous chain of carbon atoms in this compound has 2 carbon atoms. Therefore, the parent chain is ethane.

3. **Identify the Functional Group**: The `CHO` group is an aldehyde functional group. Aldehydes are characterized by the presence of a carbonyl group (C=O) at the end of the carbon chain.

4. **Number the Carbon Chain**: When numbering the carbon chain, we start from the end closest to the functional group to give it the lowest possible number. In this case, we number from the left:
- Carbon 1: `CHO` (aldehyde)
- Carbon 2: `CH₃`

5. **Name the Compound**: According to IUPAC nomenclature rules, the suffix for aldehydes is `-al`. Since we have 2 carbon atoms, we start with the base name "ethane" and drop the 'e' to form "ethanal".

6. **Final IUPAC Name**: Therefore, the IUPAC name of `CH₃CHO` is **ethanal**.

### Summary:
The IUPAC name of `CH₃CHO` is **ethanal**.