In the lab, you added an excess of acetic acid to drive the reaction forward, favoring products at equilibrium according to Le C
hatelier's Principle. Which of the following could you also do to drive the reaction forward and favor products at equilibrium a. Remove the alcohal starting material
b. Remove exess water
c. Increase the tempature
d. Add extra water
The reaction involved is an esterification reaction. Esterification is a reaction in which alcohol and carboxylic acid reacts to yield an ester and water. It is analogous to the inorganic neutralization reaction.
According to Le Chatelier's principle , one method of driving the equilibrium towards the forward reaction is by removal of one of the products. In this case, if water is removed, the forward reaction is favoured.
