The correct answer is Option (2) → 3-methyl Phenol
- m-Cresol is the common name for the cresol isomer where the methyl group (-CH₃) is meta (position 3) relative to the hydroxyl group (-OH) on the benzene ring.
- In IUPAC nomenclature for substituted phenols:
- The parent compound is phenol.
- The -OH group gets position 1.
- Other substituents are numbered accordingly, with the lowest possible numbers.
- The name is written as substituent-position + phenol (e.g., methyl at position 3 → 3-methylphenol).
Why the others are incorrect:
- 3-chlorophenol: This has a chlorine atom at position 3, not a methyl group.
- 3-methoxyphenol: This has a -OCH₃ group at position 3 (common name: m-guaiacol).
- Benzene-1,3-diol: This is resorcinol (two -OH groups at positions 1 and 3).
Thus, the correct IUPAC name is 3-methylphenol. |
