The correct statement regarding a carbonyl compound with a hydrogen atom on its alpha carbon, is:
- A carbonyl compound with a hydrogen atom on its alpha-carbon never equilibrates with its corresponding enol.
- A carbonyl compound with a hydrogen atom on its alpha-carbon rapidly equilibrates with its corresponding enol and this process is known as aldehyde-ketone equilibration.
- A carbonyl compound with a hydrogen atom on its alpha-carbon rapidly equilibrates with its corresponding enol and this process is known as carbonylation.
- A carbonyl compound with a hydrogen atom on its alpha-carbon rapidly equilibrates with its corresponding enol and this process is known as keto-enol tautomerism.
Solution
The correct statement regarding a carbonyl compound with a hydrogen atom on its alpha carbon is a carbonyl compound with a hydrogen atom on its alpha-carbon rapidly equilibrates with its corresponding enol and this process is known as keto-enol tautomerism.
The tautomeric structures are given below:

Keto-enol tautomerism
Asked in: NEET 2016 (Phase 1)
Practice more General Organic Chemistry questions on Aicharya