[fredodgers]

Hi everyone,

I have a question concerning product distribution in a reaction.  Suppose we have an equal mixture of 3 fatty acids: H₃C-(CH₂)_n-CH₂-OH where n can go from 6-8.  Say we react this mixture with C₂H₄O.  The following are then the steps (all irreversible):
Initiation:
ROH+C₂H₄O goes to ROCH₂CH₂OH
Propagation 1:
 ROCH₂CH₂OH+C₂H₄O goes to RO(CH₂CH₂O)₂H
Propagation 2:
RO(CH₂CH₂O)₂H+C₂H₄O goes to RO(CH₂CH₂O)₃H
and so on to infinity, theoretically.

Assume that the pre-exponential factor and activation energy are the same between all the propagation steps.  The initiation has different values for these two variables, but it is the same amongst all 3 reactants.  Now the question:
Given this information, how could I determine the most probable value of n in RO(CH₂CH₂O)_nH

Would I setup a long system of equation with the rate laws for each in differential form?

[Babcock_Hall]

You must mean fatty alcohols, not fatty acids.  Have you made any progress on this problem that you can show us?