Esterification :The reaction in which a carboxylic acid combines with an alcohol in the presence of mineral acid to form an ester is called esterification reaction.
Aim : To conduct an experiment to understand the esterification reaction.
Apparatus and chemicals required :1ml ethanol,1 ml glacial acetic acid, conc. sulphuric acid, beaker, bunsen burner, test tube etc.
Procedure :
(1) Take 1 ml of ethanol and 1 ml of glacial acetic acid along with a few drops of conc. sulphuric acid in a test tube.
(2) Warm it in a water - bath or a beaker containing water for at least five minutes as shown in the figure.
(3) Pour the warm contents into a beaker containing 20 - 50 ml of water and observe the odour of the resulting mixture.
Observation : We will observe that the resultant is a sweet odoured substance, i.e., ethyl acetate, an ester.
Result :
Ester is formed in this reaction, and we identified that as an ester by its sweet odour.
