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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: rragas on April 11, 2005, 04:46:29 PM

Title: 2 ester questions
Post by: rragas on April 11, 2005, 04:46:29 PM

k...

1) What is the role of the H2SO4 in reactions of esterification?... i have no idea how to approach this... i know that H2SO4 --> (esterifyied?) is sulfate.. but i dunno if that has anything to do with it

2) How is he -OH radical of an alcohol different from that of an inorganic compound (a base)?
Same deal here... (ok.. my teacher explained this, but im lost because i was absent when he did.. :I)

Thanks

Title: Re:2 ester questions
Post by: Garneck on April 11, 2005, 05:12:26 PM

Quote from: rragas on April 11, 2005, 04:46:29 PM

k...

1) What is the role of the H2SO4 in reactions of esterification?... i have no idea how to approach this... i know that H2SO4 --> (esterifyied?) is sulfate.. but i dunno if that has anything to do with it

2) How is he -OH radical of an alcohol different from that of an inorganic compound (a base)?
Same deal here... (ok.. my teacher explained this, but im lost because i was absent when he did.. :I)

Thanks

1. Sulfuric acid catalyses the esterification reaction between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid.

2. An inorganic base M-O-H dissociates to M⁺ cation and a OH- hydroxyl anion. Alcohols R-O-H dissociate to an alcoxide (my english spelling or naming could be bad) R-O^- and H⁺. Alcohols are veeeeeeeeery weak acids.

Title: Re:2 ester questions
Post by: Donaldson Tan on April 11, 2005, 07:18:51 PM

Quote from: Garneck on April 11, 2005, 05:12:26 PM

Alcohols R-O-H dissociate to an alcoxide (my english spelling or naming could be bad) R-O^- and H⁺. Alcohols are veeeeeeeeery weak acids.

it's spelled alkoxide

Title: Re:2 ester questions
Post by: Garneck on April 12, 2005, 01:45:53 PM

thanks geodome