Does acetic acid form hydrogen bonds between itself and water?
Yes, acetic acid (CH3COOH) can form hydrogen bonds with water (H2O). Acetic acid contains a hydroxyl group (–OH) as part of its carboxylic acid group (–COOH). The hydrogen atom in this hydroxyl group is sufficiently positive because it is attached to a very electronegative oxygen atom, making it capable of acting as a hydrogen bond donor. The oxygen atom in the hydroxyl group, as well as the oxygen in the carbonyl group (C=O), can act as hydrogen bond acceptors because they have lone pairs of electrons that can attract positively charged hydrogens.
Water, being polar and having both hydrogen bond donors (the hydrogens attached to oxygen) and acceptors (the lone pairs on oxygen), can interact with acetic acid through hydrogen bonding. This interaction is one reason why acetic acid is miscible with water and can dissolve in it in all proportions.
Hydrogen bonding in acetic acid and water leads to an increase in the boiling point of the solution compared to pure water and also affects the solubility of acetic acid in water. These hydrogen bonds are, however, dynamic and transient; they continually form, break, and reform due to the thermal motions of the molecules.