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Question: | 1 Acetic acid (CH3COOH) + 1 Ethanol (C2H5OH) |
Solution: | Ethyl acetate (CH3COOCH2CH3) and water (H2O) |
Chemical Equation: | CH3COOH + C2H5OH ⇌ CH3COOCH2CH3 + H2O |
Explanation: | This is a classic example of Fischer esterification! Acetic acid reacts with ethanol in the presence of an acid catalyst (often H₂SO₄) 👨🔬 to form ethyl acetate and water. The reaction is reversible 🔄, meaning it can proceed in either direction depending on the conditions. The equilibrium can be shifted towards ester formation by removing the water byproduct 💧 or using excess of one of the reactants. |
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