Question

What is  the formula of products of a mixture of Ethanol and Butanoic acid with few drops of sulphuric (vi) acid?

Answer 1

The reaction between ethanol (C₂H₅OH) and butanoic acid (C₃H₇COOH) with a few drops of sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) can lead to the formation of an ester through an esterification reaction. The general formula for the product of an esterification reaction is:
R₁COOH + R₂OH → R₁COOR₂ + H₂O
In this case, R1 represents the alkyl group of butanoic acid (C₃H₇^-) and R₂ represents the alkyl group of ethanol (C₂H₅^-). Therefore, the formula for the product, which is an ester, would be:
C₃H₇COOC₂H₅ + H₂O
This product is known as ethyl butanoate.