why is acetic acid written as CH3COOH and not like C2H4O2?i want an experts answer fast.....
A chemical formula of a compound represents the chemical nature of the compounds, since acetic acid is an organic acid containing -COOH group, therefore, the chemical formula must include this group. Therefore, the correct formula for acetic acid is CH3COOH. Also, there can be many other compounds with the general formula C2H4O2, apart from acetic acid with different chemical properties.