| Characteristics: | Can come in many different shapes and sizes in white crystals or white powder form. |
| Alternative Names: | Acetylsalicylic Acid - 2-(Acetyloxy) Benzoic Acid - Salicylic Acid Acetate |
| Melting Point: | 157-159o |
| Boiling Point (C*): | 211o |
| Density at Natural State: | 1.35 |
| Mol Weight: | 138.12 |
| Molecular Formula: | C9H8O4 |
| % Composition by Mass: | Carbon – 60.00%, Hydrogen – 4.48%, Oxygen – 35.52% |
| % Composition by Number: | Carbon - 43.00%, Hydrogen - 38.00%, Oxygen - 19.00% |
| Form: | Crystalline |
| Natural Abundance: | Aspirin is both a natural and synthetic compound. Back in the Greek era, people extracted a powder form of the compound from willow bark. Now scientists are making aspirin synthetically making is more efficient. |
| Solubility: | One gram of aspirin dissolves at 25o in 300 mL of water and in 100 mL water at 37o. It also dissolves in 5 mL of alcohol, 17 mL of chloroform and 15 mL of ether. Aspirin decomposes in boiling water or in solutions of alkali hydroxides and carbonates. Inorganic salts of acetylsalicylic acid are soluble in water, it works better with calcium salt, but are decomposed quickly. |
| Reaction Tendencies: | Phenol
(OH) + Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) --> Sodium Phenate (ONa) + Water H2O
Sodium Phenate (ONa) + Carbon Dioxide (CO2) --> Sodium Salicylate (COONa OH) Sodium Salicylate (COONa O) + Hydrogen (H) --> Salicylic Acid (COOH OH) + Sodium (Na) Salicylic Acid (COOH OH) + Acetic Anhydride (CH3COOCOCH3) --> Acetic Acid (CH3COOH) + Aspirin (COOH OOCcH3) |