---
title: "Acetate and carboxylate ions Template | MolDraw"
url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/resonance-acetate/
description: "Acetate and carboxylate ions template: Acetate (CH₃CO₂⁻) and a general carboxylate RCO₂⁻: two equivalent contributors, an O lone pair forming C=O as the C=O…"
lang: en
publisher: Scidart Academy
generated: 2026-10-28
---
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# Acetate and carboxylate ions template

![Acetate and carboxylate ions template: Acetate (CH₃CO₂⁻) and a general carboxylate RCO₂⁻: two equivalent contributors, an O lone pair forming C=O as the C=O π bond moves onto the other O.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/download/resonance-acetate.svg)

[Edit in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)[Download SVG](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/download/resonance-acetate.svg)

Free template. Download it, or open it in MolDraw to change it first.

Acetate (CH₃CO₂⁻) and a general carboxylate RCO₂⁻: two equivalent contributors, an O lone pair forming C=O as the C=O π bond moves onto the other O.

## What the template shows

- The negative charge is shared equally by the two oxygens
- Resonance contributors
- Acetate ion
- CH₃CO₂⁻, two equivalent forms
- Any carboxylate
- RCO₂⁻: the same two forms
- The two forms are equivalent, so they contribute equally: both C–O bonds are the same length (about 126 pm), between C=O and C–O.
- Each oxygen carries half the negative charge.
- Delocalising the charge stabilises the anion: one reason carboxylic acids (pKa about 4.8 for acetic acid) are far more acidic than alcohols (pKa about 16).
- Contributors are not in equilibrium: the real species is one hybrid of them · every part of this figure is editable

Drawn with 16 atoms, 6 arrows, 3 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.

## Sources

- [Clayden, Greeves & Warren, Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed., OUP 2012, ch. 7](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780199270293) Textbook
- [Smith, March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, 8th ed., Wiley 2020](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119371809) Textbook

## How to use this template

1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Acetate and carboxylate ions template free?

Yes. The Acetate and carboxylate ions template is one of the free MolDraw templates: open it in the editor or download it from this page as SVG or PNG and use it in your slides, worksheets and notes.

### Can I edit the Acetate and carboxylate ions template?

Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.

### Is the chemistry checked?

Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.

### How are resonance structures shown?

Each contributor is drawn separately, joined by double-headed resonance arrows, with curly arrows showing how the electrons move from one contributor to the next.

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