Question

Write the chemical equation to show what happens when ethyl acetate is treated with sodium ethoxide in ethanol and the reaction mixture is acidified.

Answer 1

When alcohol is treated with carboxylic acid, in the presence of conc. sulphuric acid it gives a sweet smelling compound called an ester. This is known as esterification reaction.

So here when ethyl alcohol is treated with ethanoic acid it gives an ester called ethyl ethanoate.