Aspirin
Molar mass: 180.16 g/mol · Class: Ester (salicylate drug)
Elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
Structure
Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid: a benzene ring carrying a carboxylic acid group and an ester group side by side. In the body it blocks enzymes that make pain-signaling prostaglandins.
Properties
White crystalline powder, slightly soluble in water
Hydrolyzes slowly in moisture to salicylic acid
Anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and fever-reducing
Thins blood by affecting platelets
Applications
Pain, fever, and inflammation relief
Low-dose therapy to prevent heart attacks and strokes (doctor-directed)
Veterinary medicine
A real medicine: follow label doses and talk to a doctor or pharmacist, especially for children (risk of Reye's syndrome), pregnancy, or blood-thinning use. Overdose is dangerous; keep locked away from children.
Data source: IUPAC standard atomic weights 2021; molar mass computed from C9H8O4