The chemical name of aspirin is

Options

A. methyl salicylate
B. ethyl salicylate
C. 2 - hydroxybenzoic acid
D. 2 - acetoxybenzoic acid

Answer

To determine the chemical name of aspirin, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Structure of Aspirin
Aspirin is a derivative of salicylic acid. Its chemical structure includes a benzene ring with specific functional groups attached. The key functional groups in aspirin are the acetoxy group and the carboxylic acid group.

### Step 2: Identify the Functional Groups
In the structure of aspirin:
- The acetoxy group (-OCOCH3) is attached to the benzene ring.
- The hydroxyl group (-OH) is also present, but it is part of the salicylic acid structure.

### Step 3: Determine the Position of the Functional Groups
In the naming of aspirin, we need to identify the positions of the functional groups on the benzene ring:
- The hydroxyl group is at position 2.
- The acetoxy group is at position 2 as well, which leads to the name "2-acetoxy".

### Step 4: Combine the Names
Since aspirin is derived from benzoic acid and has both an acetoxy group and a hydroxyl group, the full chemical name is:
- 2-acetoxybenzoic acid.

### Conclusion
Thus, the chemical name of aspirin is **2-acetoxybenzoic acid**.

---