# glacial acetic acid vs. acetic acid?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glacial-acetic-acid-vs-acetic-acid/2455>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 11, 1999, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glacial-acetic-acid-vs-acetic-acid/2455 "1999-08-11T18:36:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ellis555](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e36b37/32.png) [@ellis555](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ellis555)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 1999, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glacial-acetic-acid-vs-acetic-acid/2455/1 "1999-08-11T18:36:00Z")

</div>

anybody out there happen to know what the difference between these two is?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 1999, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glacial-acetic-acid-vs-acetic-acid/2455/2 "1999-08-11T18:47:00Z")

</div>

A Google search for the chemical formula of acetic acid turned up

- Acetowhite lesions on the glans penis following acetic acid soak -

I’ll just leave it at this: the molecular structure of acetic acid does not vary according to the source.  
And put that vinegar away, boys.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ellis555](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e36b37/32.png) [@ellis555](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ellis555)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 1999, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glacial-acetic-acid-vs-acetic-acid/2455/3 "1999-08-11T18:52:00Z")

</div>

looks like i should rephrase ye ol’ question. glacial acetic acid is the most concentrated form of acetic acid (not quite 100% due to laws of distillation). this much i know. what i’m really wondering is why it’s called “glacial.”

ellis

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 1999, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glacial-acetic-acid-vs-acetic-acid/2455/4 "1999-08-11T20:02:00Z")

</div>

Oh.

Anhydrous (water-free) acetic acid is sometimes called glacial acetic acid because it solidifies just below room temperature, at 16.7°C. Acetic acid can be concentrated by dripping the impure compound over a “stalactite” of glacial (frozen) acetic acid. Pure acetic acid crystallizes, while impurities run off in the liquid.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ellis555](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e36b37/32.png) [@ellis555](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ellis555)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 1999, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glacial-acetic-acid-vs-acetic-acid/2455/5 "1999-08-12T15:32:00Z")

</div>

thanks

ellis