PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION CAS NO. : 64-19-7 Molecular Formula : CH3COOH SYNONYMS : Acetic acid, methane carboxylic acid; ethanoic acid DESCRIPTION OF GLACIAL ACETIC ACID Glacial acetic acid is a trivial name for water-free acetic acid. Similar to the German name Eisessig (literally, ice-vinegar), the name comes from the ice-like crystals that form slightly below room temperature at 16.7 °C (about 62 °F). The most common and official abbreviation for acetic acid is AcOH or HOAc where Ac stands for the acetyl group CH3−C(=O)−;. In the context of acid-base reactions the abbreviation HAc is often used where Ac instead stands for the acetate anion (CH3COO−), although this use is regarded by many as misleading. In either case, the Ac is not to be confused with the abbreviation for the chemical element actinium.