[Aalz-7]

Hello everyone, first post here. I am currently planning a "design lab", and the area of chemistry i want to focus on is chemical equilibrium (specifically Le Chateliers principle). After conducting some preliminary research, I decided that the reaction I would center my lab around would be the esterification reaction between ethanoic acid and ethanol. I decided on these chemicals because the rate of reaction between the two is a good length, not too fast, not too slow. I have 1 month to complete the entire experiment, from start to finish.

I have decided to make my manipulated variable the volume of excess reagent (ethanol), and my responding would be volume of ester produced. This is where I run into problems. I do not know exactly what conditions to set up the esterification with so that I can obtain some sort of measurable result.

What I want is to set up an esterification where I can set up the experiment on one day and collect results the next day, or two days from the start. I dont understand the quantities of reagent/catalyst I would need to use, or whether it should be heated or stirred with a stir bar.

Secondly, my teacher says that distillation of the ester is difficult with the given lab apparatus, and so recommends using a pH probe to monitor the pH of the reaction, then find the pH change (number of moles of hydronium ions converted) and use stoichiometry to find the yield. She says I can also double check everything with titrations, but I am very confused on how to titrate a solution containing alcohol, carboxylic acid, catalyst, and ester with a strong base.

If someone can also teach me the basics of the ICE table for chemical equilibria (initial-change-equilibrium) as I simply do not understand it, it would be appreciated.

If anyone can shed some light on my situation (stir bar vs heating, quantities of chemicals to use, method to find yield using titration/pH probe), it would be greatly be of help.

I have found this excellent lab report online that seems to closely mirror my own proposed lab, can I use it as a valid starting point? http://www.chemtopics.com/aplab/eqetac.pdf