Commonly Searched Equations

Questions asked by users might not always be phrased in the clearest way.

Accepted Answer
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.

Looking for something different?

Join our free Chemistry AI platform and create your own experiments.