The Molecular Structure of Acetaldehyde

Ackermann and Mayer investigated the structure of acetaldehyde by the electron diffraction technique using 6.4 kilovolt electrons. Their photographs showed only two maxima and one minimum; hence it was necessary for them to assign very large uncertainties to their results. Since the distances they reported were considerably shorter than predicted by the covalent radius table, it was decided that the structure of acetaldehyde should be reinvestigated using fast electrons.