Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid, has a simple structural formula represented as CH3COOH. This formula indicates that acetic acid consists of two carbon atoms, four hydrogen atoms, and two oxygen atoms.
The structural formula can also be drawn as:
In this structural representation, you can see that one carbon (the methyl group, CH3) is bonded to a carboxyl group (COOH). The carboxyl group (–COOH) is what gives acetic acid its acidic properties.
Understanding the structural formula is important because it highlights the functional groups present in acetic acid, which are responsible for its chemical behavior.