The chemical formula of palmitic acid, which is a saturated fatty acid, is CH3(CH2)14COOH. It consists of a long hydrocarbon chain (14 carbon atoms), with a carboxyl group (-COOH) at one end. This formula is widely known and is used as a standard reference for palmitic acid.
- Option (1): The formula CH4(CH2)14COOH is incorrect as it contains an extra CH4 group which is not part of the structure of palmitic acid.
- Option (2): The formula CH3(CH2)15COOH corresponds to a fatty acid with 15 carbon atoms, which is not palmitic acid but another fatty acid.
- Option (4): The formula CH3(CH3)14COOH is incorrect because the structure includes incorrect carbon bonding and doesn't correspond to any known fatty acid.
Thus, the correct answer is option (3): The chemical formula of palmitic acid is CH3(CH2)14COOH.