Writing the formula for ammonium acetate

[name_ask17]

Homework Statement

Hi. I only have one more submission left in my homework. Can someone please check this problem real quick for me?
DIRECTIONS: Write the formula for each of the following compounds. (Type your answer using the format Al(HSO4)3 for Al(HSO4)3.)
PROBLEM: Ammonium Acetate
MY ANSWER: NH4C2H3OO

 

[Borek]

This is tricky. You have correct atoms, no doubt about it, but there are many ways this formula can be written. For example NH₄CH₃COO, NH₄CH₃CO₂. Technically if the group is present once only there is no need for parentheses.

To make things even more complicated organic salts are sometimes written in reversed order - like CH₃COONH₄, but directions seem to exclude this approach.

 

[name_ask17]

thank you a lot for your help. unfortunately i got it wrong though.
it is because there are too many ways to rearrange this problem! lol. but thanks anywayss.

 

[Borek]

If your teacher is reasonable you can try to argue that answer is ambiguous - as far as I can tell there is no one, agreed way of writing acetates formulas. Apart from those I listed earlier some people write ammonium acetate as C₂H₃O₂NH₄.

Could be you were told to use reversed order when writing formulas of organic salts, in which case directions can be misleading, if treated literally.

 

[chemisttree]

thank you a lot for your help. unfortunately i got it wrong though.
it is because there are too many ways to rearrange this problem! lol. but thanks anywayss.

I hate these types of problems... you don't really learn any chemistry, just some meaningless rule that nobody uses.


My answer would have been NH4(CH3CO2). As in your example, the anion is in parentheses and the cation is out front.