Final answer:
A β-hydroxy ketone is a compound that contains a ketone group (RCOR') and a hydroxyl group (OH) on a β carbon atom.
Step-by-step explanation:
A β-hydroxy ketone is a compound that contains a ketone group (RCOR') and a hydroxyl group (OH) on a β carbon atom. The structure of a β-hydroxy ketone can be represented as R-C(OH)-R', where R and R' are carbon chains of either the same or different lengths.