Question: what is the difference between aspirin and salicylic acid?
Answer: Aspirin belongs to a family of compounds called the salicylates, the simplest of which is salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is the principal metabolite of aspirin, aspirin having a half‐life of <30 min. Many of the salicylates share the same properties as aspirin, although its anti‐platelet action is specific.