Acetic acid yog ib hom carboxylic acid uas muaj ob lub carbon atoms thiab yog ib qho tseem ceeb uas muaj cov pa oxygen ntawm cov hydrocarbons. Nws cov mis molecular yog C₂H₄O₂, nrog rau cov qauv formula CH₃COOH, thiab nws cov pab pawg ua haujlwm yog pawg carboxyl. Raws li cov khoom tseem ceeb ntawm vinegar, glacial acetic acid kuj tseem hu ua acetic acid. Piv txwv li, nws feem ntau muaj nyob rau hauv daim ntawv ntawm esters hauv cov txiv hmab txiv ntoo lossis cov roj zaub, thaum nyob rau hauv cov nqaij tsiaj, cov zis, thiab cov ntshav, glacial acetic acid muaj nyob rau hauv cov kua qaub dawb. Cov kua txiv hmab txiv ntoo ib txwm muaj 3% txog 5% acetic acid.

Muaj ntau tshaj 20 xyoo ntawm kev paub ua tus xa khoom ntawm glacial acetic acid, cov ntaub ntawv tuaj yeem nrhiav tau. Nyem qhov no kom tau txais tus nqi.