Molecular formula of acetic acid is `CH_(3)COOH`. The number of atoms present in its empirical formula is

Explanation

To find the number of atoms present in the empirical formula of acetic acid (CH₃COOH), we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Molecular Formula
The molecular formula of acetic acid is given as CH₃COOH.

### Step 2: Count the Atoms in the Molecular Formula
In the molecular formula CH₃COOH, we can count the number of each type of atom:
- Carbon (C): 2 atoms (from CH₃ and COOH)
- Hydrogen (H): 4 atoms (3 from CH₃ and 1 from COOH)
- Oxygen (O): 2 atoms (from COOH)

### Step 3: Write the Total Count
Now, we can summarize the total count of atoms:
- Total Carbon atoms = 2
- Total Hydrogen atoms = 4
- Total Oxygen atoms = 2

### Step 4: Determine the Empirical Formula
To find the empirical formula, we need to express the ratio of the atoms in the simplest form. The counts we have are:
- C: 2
- H: 4
- O: 2

Now we will divide each count by the smallest number of atoms present, which is 2:
- C: 2/2 = 1
- H: 4/2 = 2
- O: 2/2 = 1

This gives us the empirical formula: CH₂O.

### Step 5: Count the Atoms in the Empirical Formula
Now, let's count the number of atoms in the empirical formula CH₂O:
- Carbon (C): 1 atom
- Hydrogen (H): 2 atoms
- Oxygen (O): 1 atom

### Step 6: Calculate the Total Number of Atoms
Now, we add up the number of atoms:
- Total atoms = 1 (C) + 2 (H) + 1 (O) = 4 atoms

### Final Answer
The number of atoms present in the empirical formula of acetic acid is **4**.

---