<P> An acetate / ˈæsɪteɪt / is a salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with an alkaline, earthy, metallic or nonmetallic and other base . "Acetate" also describes the conjugate base or ion (specifically, the negatively charged ion called an anion) typically found in aqueous solution and written with the chemical formula C H O . The neutral molecules formed by the combination of the acetate ion and a positive ion (called a cation) are also commonly called "acetates" (hence, acetate of lead, acetate of aluminum, etc .). The simplest of these is hydrogen acetate (called acetic acid) with corresponding salts, esters, and the polyatomic anion CH CO, or CH COO . </P> <P> Most of the approximately 5 billion kilograms of acetic acid produced annually in industry are used in the production of acetates, which usually take the form of polymers . In nature, acetate is the most common building block for biosynthesis . For example, the fatty acids are produced by connecting the two carbon atoms from acetate to a growing fatty acid . </P> <P> When part of a salt, the formula of the acetate ion is written as CH CO, C H O, or CH COO . Chemists abbreviate acetate as OAc or, less commonly, AcO . Thus, HOAc is the abbreviation for acetic acid, NaOAc for sodium acetate, and EtOAc for ethyl acetate . The abbreviation "Ac" (or "AC") is also sometimes encountered in chemical formulas to indicate the acetate ion (CH CO), or the acetyl group (CH CO). This abbreviation is not to be confused with the symbol of actinium, the first element of the actinide series . For example, the formula for sodium acetate might be abbreviated as "NaAc", rather than "NaC H O". Care should also be taken to avoid confusion with peracetic acid when using the OAc abbreviation; for clarity and to avoid errors when translated, HOAc should be avoided in literature mentioning both compounds . </P> <P> Although its systematic name is ethanoate, the common acetate remains the preferred IUPAC name . </P>

Why does acetate have two different ways of writing it
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