What is the IUPAC name for C2H4O?

The compound C2H4O is identified as ethylene oxide in IUPAC nomenclature. Ethylene oxide is a three-membered cyclic ether that can be structurally represented as a triangle with an oxygen atom forming part of the ring along with two carbon atoms. The molecular formula C2H4O indicates that it contains two carbon atoms and one oxygen atom, which are consistent with the structure of ethylene oxide.

Ethylene oxide serves as an important intermediate in the synthesis of various chemicals and is notable for its use in the production of antifreeze and other industrial products. The IUPAC naming system places emphasis on the presence of functional groups, and in this case, the presence of an ether functional group is critical to correctly identifying the compound as ethylene oxide.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the structure or characteristics of the compound. An alkene generally refers to hydrocarbons with at least one double bond, which is not the case for ethylene oxide. Ethylene, while it shares the same carbon count, is simply C2H4 and does not contain the oxygen atom, and acetaldehyde contains the same number of carbons and hydrogens but has a carbonyl functional group (C=O) rather than forming