acetic acid, an organic compound, has the following structural formula. what is the chemical formula for…
acetic acid, an organic compound, has the following structural formula. what is the chemical formula for acetic acid?
Answer
Explanation:
Step1: Count carbon atoms
There are 2 carbon (C) atoms in the structure.
Step2: Count hydrogen atoms
There are 4 hydrogen (H) atoms in the methyl - group ($-CH_3$) and 1 hydrogen atom in the $-OH$ group, so a total of 4 + 1=5 hydrogen atoms.
Step3: Count oxygen atoms
There are 2 oxygen (O) atoms, one in the carbon - oxygen double bond ($C = O$) and one in the $-OH$ group.
Answer:
$C_2H_4O_2$