The compound CH₃COOCH₃ (methyl acetate) is not an acid, but the compound CH₃COOH (acetic acid) is.

(a) Which of the hydrogen atoms in acetic acid is the acidic hydrogen (the one that becomes H⁺ (aq) ion)?

(b) Speculate about why none of the hydrogen atoms in methyl acetate is acidic.

(c) The diagram below shows how electrons rearrange to make acetic acid behave as an acid. Notice the two different ways the resulting anion is drawn. This allows the negative charge to be spread among two oxygen atoms, which in turn makes the whole anion stable and helps acetic acid to lose an H⁺ ion and be an acid. What do you call the two different forms of the anion?

Transcribed Image Text:

Η. H :O: Ἡ Η. Η :Ö: C Ἡ :0: