How do you tell from a diagram if the molecule is hydrophilic or hydrophobic

Question

Here's the molecule I'm asking about specifically.

http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/cc350/andyc52042/molecule.jpg

But tell me how to do it with any molecule?

Answer 1

This is acetic acid, and it is hydrophilic. It will dissolve in water (to make vinegar). However, acetic acid will dissolve in organic solvents too, making it lipophilic as well.

Generally small organic molecules (< 5 carbons) with carboxylic acid, carboxylate, amine, ammonium, hydroxyl, sulfone, or sulfoxide groups will be hydrophilic. (In other words, polar functional groups.) Larger organic molecules (> 5 carbons), will require more of these groups to be hydrophilic. All the others would be hydrophobic, with a few notable exceptions, such as ethyl acetate.