Which of the following would be the IUPAC name for the ether commonly called ethyl methyl ether?
A) ethoxymethane
B) ethoxyethane
C) methoxymethane
D) methoxyethane

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to IUPAC nomenclature, the shorter alkyl chain is named first followed by the longer chain with the suffix "-oxy". In this case, the shorter chain is methyl and the longer chain is ethyl, so the IUPAC name would be methoxyethane. Choice A (ethoxymethane) incorrectly uses the longer chain as the first part of the name, and choice B (ethoxyethane) is a different compound with two ethyl groups. Choice C (methoxymethane) incorrectly uses the shorter chain as the first part of the name.

Which of the Following Would Be the IUPAC Name for the Ether