Aspirin (C9H804) Most people know aspirin as a pill to take when you have a headache or some other ailment. There is much more to aspirin than most people know. This report will explain the chemical properties of aspirin, what the uses are, the history of the chemical, and the discovery of the molecule. Aspirin is also known as acetylsalicylic acid. It is made up of nine carbon atoms, eight hydrogen atoms and four oxygen atoms. It has many chemical properties. The melting point of aspirin is approximately one hundred and thirty-five degrees Celsius and the boiling point is one hundred and forty degrees Celsius. It has a density of 1.35 grams per milliliter and the molar mass is 180,160 g/mol (1). This means that the molecule is relatively dense. There is more weight than volume. Aspirin is described as odorless and colorless up to the point where the color is white. It looks like a crystalline powder at room temperature. It is a relatively stable molecule that must be stored at room temperature (2). Aspirin is soluble in water at 3.3 g/l (3). Aspirin can be soluble in ethanol, DMSO, or water (2). Aspirin has polar groups that, when placed with polar water molecules, can form hydrogen bonds. Aspirin is an asymmetric molecule. When drawing the Lewis dot structure, a person can see that the bonds are polar. There are also dipole moments that make the molecule polar. Dipole molecules are composed of a higher electronegative atom that attracts electrons towards itself (11). It is more soluble in basic solutions than water and acidic solutions (4). The Lewis structure also reveals that there are many double bonds between carbons and two double bonds between oxygen and carbon. Aspirin is best known as a pill to take to get rid of a... middle of paper.... ..Aspirin has become so popular that approximately 35,000 tons of it are produced and consumed each year to meet the demand of consumers. 35,000 tons is equivalent to 100 billion standard aspirin tablets (10). Such a large number of tablets means that the aspirin market is very good. Today aspirin is known as the leading non-prescription drug of all time. It is the most common pill taken for pain, inflammation, and fever. It has grown worldwide, being available in eighty countries (9). It wouldn't be surprising if one day all countries had aspirin available. Aspirin is more than just a pill to take for pain, it has changed your life for the better. It is used for medical purposes and daily household needs. If people didn't know about this simple but life-changing molecule, the world wouldn't be the same.