Lewis Structure Generator
Reviewed carboxylic-acid guide

CH₃COOH Lewis Structure: Acetic Acid

Acetic acid is CH₃–C(=O)–OH. One oxygen is carbonyl oxygen; the other is hydroxyl oxygen bonded to hydrogen.

Reviewed July 16, 2026 · Organic Lewis structure

Generate CH₃COOHCompare acetate

Quick answer

Electron count

2 C contribute 8, 4 H contribute 4 and 2 O contribute 12: 24 electrons.

Connectivity

The correct skeleton is CH₃–C(=O)–O–H.

Local geometry

The carbonyl carbon is trigonal planar; the methyl carbon is tetrahedral.

Drawing steps

  1. Connect the two carbon atoms.
  2. Give the first carbon three hydrogen atoms to form CH₃.
  3. Attach both oxygen atoms to the second carbon.
  4. Attach the remaining hydrogen to the single-bonded oxygen.
  5. Make the other C–O bond a double bond and place two lone pairs on each oxygen.

Acid versus acetate

Neutral acetic acid has a localized O–H bond. After deprotonation, acetate has two equivalent C–O bonds in a resonance hybrid. Do not draw neutral CH₃COOH as if the two oxygens were already equivalent.

Common mistake: attaching the acidic hydrogen to carbonyl oxygen while also keeping the same bond arrangement. The standard connectivity is CH₃–C(=O)–OH.