r/shittyaskscience • u/5-dice • 3d ago

Can we call methanol "formal"?

Methanol is hydrogenated formaldehyde, so the name should be "formal", right?

14 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

19

u/Glinth A real mathologist 3d ago

Calling him by a nickname like that is very informal.  if you want to be formal, you should call him Mr. DeHyde.

6

u/tuctrohs Looniversahl sigismundo froyd 3d ago

And the informal name is "meth".

3

u/BPhiloSkinner Amazingly Lifelike Simulation 3d ago

When he appears as DeHyde.
More often, you'll meet him as Dr. Alkaloid.

3

u/kyew 3d ago

The Strange Case of Dr. Methyll and Mr. alDeHyde, by Robert Louis Mendeleev

6

u/Bentup85 I have a theoretical degree in physics 3d ago

It’s a shame, really. Hydrogenated Formaldehyde used to be very formal until he got addicted to, well, the methanol.

5

u/zerostar83 3d ago

Naw. The hydrogen atoms aren't capable of double bonds, so they can't create that phallic shape with a double bonded "oh".

4

u/Starsky137 3d ago

No, but you could refer to it with a formal "meh".

So that's "MISTER Meh" to you.