---
title: "Acetic acid Structure (C2H4O2): 3D Model, Formula & Molar Mass | MolDraw"
url: https://www.moldraw.com/molecules/acetic-acid.html
description: "Structure of Acetic acid (C2H4O2, 60.05 g/mol): rotatable 3D model, 2D skeletal formula, IUPAC name, SMILES, shape, polarity, uses and FAQ."
lang: en
publisher: Scidart Academy
generated: 2026-10-26
---
[MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/) › [3D molecule models](https://www.moldraw.com/molecules/) › Acetic acid structure

# Acetic acid structure and 3D model (C2H4O2)

Acetic acid (ethanoic acid) is a methyl group attached to a carboxylic acid group. It is the acid in vinegar.

**Quick answer:** Acetic acid is **C2H4O2**, molar mass **60.05 g/mol**. Small with a flat COOH group; polar and miscible with water.

Atom labels Hydrogens Spin

Drag to rotate · pinch or scroll to zoom. 3D coordinates: computed with RDKit (ETKDG conformer, force-field optimised).

## Acetic acid at a glance

| Formula | C2H4O2 |
| --- | --- |
| Molar mass | 60.05 g/mol |
| IUPAC name | acetic acid |
| Atoms / bonds | 8 / 7 |
| H-bond donors / acceptors | 1 / 1 |
| logP (estimated) | 0.1 |
| SMILES | `CC(=O)O` |
| InChIKey | `QTBSBXVTEAMEQO-UHFFFAOYSA-N` |
| PubChem | [176](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/176) |

![2D structural formula of Acetic acid (C2H4O2)](https://www.moldraw.com/molecules/img/acetic-acid.svg)

2D structure (skeletal formula) · [Draw it in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)

## What the 3D model of Acetic acid shows

The model contains **8 atoms** (4 heavy atoms and 4 hydrogens) joined by **7 bonds**; in ball-and-stick mode every stick is one bond, and double or aromatic bonds are drawn as multiple sticks. Switch to *space-filling* to see the molecule as its electron cloud, scaled to van der Waals radii: this is the shape other molecules actually "feel". It can donate 1 and accept 1 hydrogen bonds, and its estimated logP of 0.1 means it is fairly balanced between water and fat. Its topological polar surface area is 37 Ų.

## Shape and bond angles

| Atom(s) | Geometry / hybridisation | Angles & lengths |
| --- | --- | --- |
| carboxyl carbon | Trigonal planar, sp² | ≈ 120° |
| methyl carbon | Tetrahedral, sp³ | ≈ 109.5° |
| hydroxyl O | Bent, sp³-like | ≈ 106° (C–O–H) |

### Is Acetic acid polar?

Yes. The COOH group is polar and forms hydrogen bonds, so acetic acid mixes with water in all proportions. Pure acetic acid forms hydrogen-bonded dimers.

## Elemental composition of C2H4O2

| Element | Atoms | Mass (g/mol) | Mass % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Carbon (C) | 2 | 24.022 | 40.00% |
| Hydrogen (H) | 4 | 4.032 | 6.71% |
| Oxygen (O) | 2 | 31.998 | 53.28% |

Calculated from IUPAC standard atomic weights. Check any formula with the [molar mass calculator](https://www.moldraw.com/tools/free-chem-tools/molar-mass-calculator.html).

## Uses of acetic acid

- Main acid in vinegar (about 4–8% in water)
- Raw material for vinyl acetate and cellulose acetate
- Common solvent and reagent in labs

## Interesting facts

- Pure acetic acid is called glacial acetic acid because it freezes into ice-like crystals at about 17 °C.
- It is a weak acid with a pKa of about 4.76.
- Most acetic acid is now made by reacting methanol with carbon monoxide.

**Drawing structures for your notes?** MolDraw is a free online chemical structure editor for molecules, reactions and lab diagrams.

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## Frequently asked questions

### What is the structure of Acetic acid?

Acetic acid (ethanoic acid) is a methyl group attached to a carboxylic acid group. It is the acid in vinegar. Its SMILES is CC(=O)O.

### Is acetic acid a strong or weak acid?

Weak. Only a small fraction of its molecules lose H⁺ in water (pKa about 4.76).

### What is the difference between acetic acid and vinegar?

Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid in water, with small amounts of flavour compounds.

### What is the chemical formula and molar mass of Acetic acid?

Acetic acid is C2H4O2 with a molar mass of 60.05 g/mol. It contains 8 atoms: 2 carbon, 4 hydrogen, 2 oxygen.

### What is the IUPAC name of Acetic acid?

The IUPAC name is acetic acid.

### How do I draw Acetic acid?

Open the MolDraw editor, paste the SMILES CC(=O)O or type "Acetic acid" in name search, and the structure is drawn for you. You can then export it as PNG, SVG, MOL or CDXML.

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