Citric acid is a weak organic acid that is commonly found in citrus fruits. Its chemical formula is C6H8O7, which indicates that it contains six carbon atoms, eight hydrogen atoms, and seven oxygen atoms. Citric acid plays a significant role in the Krebs cycle and is widely used as a natural preservative and flavoring agent.
On the other hand, H3C6H5O7 is another way to represent citric acid, but it emphasizes the presence of carboxylic acid groups in the structure. This formula highlights that there are three hydrogen atoms attached to the acidic carbon groups in citric acid.
In essence, both formulas represent citric acid, but they do so from slightly different perspectives on its chemical structure. The C6H8O7 representation is the complete molecular formula, while the H3C6H5O7 representation underscores the number of acidic hydrogens present.