Question

Acetic acid is the active ingredient of vinegar. Its chemical formula is ${\mathbf{CH}}_{\mathbf{3}}\mathbf{COOH}$, and the second carbon atom is bonded to the first carbon atom and to both oxygen atoms. Draw a Lewis diagram for acetic acid and use Table 3.6to estimate its bond lengths.

Short answer

The Lewis diagram of acetic acid is,

Step-by-step solution

Lewis structure

Most of the bonds and lone pairs are direct consequences of the rules of assigning electrons. The $\mathrm{C}=\mathrm{O}$double bond needs to be added to reach tetravalency on carbon and to reduce charges in the structure. (Otherwise, oxygen would be -1 and carbon would be +1 if there is only a single bond between them.)

Bond lengths

All of the corresponding average bond lengths are included in the textbook table:

• C-H single bond $1.01{\mathrm{A}}^0$
• C-C single bond $1.01{\mathrm{A}}^0$
• $\mathrm{C}=\mathrm{O}$double bond $1.01{\mathrm{A}}^0$
• C-O single bond $1.01{\mathrm{A}}^0$
• O-H single bond$1.01{\mathrm{A}}^0$

Note that these a lengths are just estimates in case of a given molecule. The units $\left({\mathrm{A}}^0\right)$are equal to localid="1663753743999" ${10}^{-10}$meters.