Ethanoic acid reacts with absolute ethanol in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce an ester.
Describe the reaction between ethanoic acid and absolute ethanol to produce an ester.
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Ethanoic acid reacts with absolute ethanol in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce an ester.
The reaction between ethanoic acid and absolute ethanol to produce an ester is known as esterification. In this reaction, ethanoic acid (CH3COOH) reacts with ethanol (C2H5OH) in the presence of an acid catalyst, typically sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The carboxylic acid group (-COOH) of ethanoic acid reacts with the hydroxyl group (-OH) of ethanol, resulting in the formation of an ester and water. Specifically, the -COOH group of ethanoic acid reacts with the -OH group of ethanol to form an ester linkage (-COO-), yielding ethyl ethanoate (CH3COOC2H5) and water (H2O).