Final answer:
Acetic acid is a weak monoprotic acid that partly ionizes in water to form a small concentration of H₃O+ and acetate ions, with the equilibrium lying far to the left, indicating the majority remains as undissociated acetic acid molecules.
Step-by-step explanation:
Acetic acid, CH₃COOH, is a weak acid, meaning it does not fully ionize in water. A weak acid like acetic acid tends to remain largely undissociated in solution. The chemical equation for the dissociation of acetic acid in water is:
CH₃CO₂H(aq) + H₂O(l) ⇒ H₃O+(aq) + CH₃CO₂⁻(aq)
This equilibrium lies significantly to the left, meaning most of the acetic acid remains as CH₃COOH molecules rather than dissociating. Due to this equilibrium, acetic acid solutions contain a high concentration of acetic acid molecules and only a small concentration of H₃O+ and acetate ions (CH₃CO₂⁻). Furthermore, acetic acid is monoprotic; even though it has four hydrogen atoms, only the hydrogen atom from the carboxyl group (-COOH) is capable of reacting with bases.