Trimethylamine is classified as which type of compound?

Trimethylamine is classified as an amine because it contains a nitrogen atom bonded to three methyl groups (–CH₃). Amines are organic compounds derived from ammonia (NH₃) where one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by alkyl or aryl groups. In the case of trimethylamine, the nitrogen is fully substituted with three methyl groups, making it a tertiary amine. This characteristic distinguishes it from alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones, which have different functional groups and structural features. Alcohols contain a hydroxyl group (–OH), aldehydes feature a carbonyl group (C=O) at the end of a carbon chain, and ketones have a carbonyl group bonded to two carbon atoms within the chain. Hence, the presence of the nitrogen atom connected to three alkyl groups firmly categorizes trimethylamine as an amine.