Question

Name an alcohol and a carboxylic acid having two carbon atoms in their structures. Draw their structures and state how this alcohol and carboxylic acid can be converted into a carboxylic acid. What happens when these two compounds react in the presence of an acid? Write chemical equations for the reactions involved in the two cases mentioned above. 

Hint:

Esterification is a reversible reaction in which an alcohol and a carboxylic acid react in the presence of a catalyst (usually an acid) to form an ester and water.

Answer 1

- The alcohol with two carbon atoms is ₂ethanol₂ (C₂H₅OH), and the carboxylic acid with two carbon atoms is ₂acetic acid₂ (CH₃COOH).

₂Ethanol Structure:₂
\[ {C}_2{H}_5{OH} \] In the presence of oxygen or acid, ethanol can be oxidized to acetic acid (CH₃COOH).

₂Acetic acid Structure:₂
\[ {CH}_3{COOH} \]

₂Conversion of Ethanol to Acetic Acid:₂
When ethanol is oxidized, it forms acetic acid. The reaction can be written as:
\[ {C}_2{H}_5{OH} \xrightarrow{O_2} {CH}_3{COOH} \] This is an oxidation reaction where ethanol (an alcohol) is converted to acetic acid (a carboxylic acid) by the addition of oxygen.

₂Reaction of Ethanol and Acetic Acid in the Presence of Acid:₂
When ethanol and acetic acid react in the presence of an acid (e.g., concentrated H₂SO₄), they undergo ₂esterification₂ to form ₂ethyl acetate₂ (an ester) and water. The chemical equation for this reaction is:
\[ {C}_2{H}_5{OH} + {CH}_3{COOH} \xrightarrow{H_2SO_4} {CH}_3{COOC}_2{H}_5 + {H}_2{O} \] In this reaction, ₂ethyl acetate₂ is formed along with water.