What ester is obtained when mixing propanoic acid with ethanol?

1 Answer
May 9, 2018

Ethyl propanoate

Explanation:

When forming an ester from an alcohol and carboxylic acid, the #"R"_1"COO"^-# group from the carboxlyic acid combine with the #"R"_2"CH"_2""^+# group from the alcohol, to form #"R"_1"COOCH"_2"R"_2#

The naming of an ester follows this:
#"group attached to OH"-"yl group attached to COOH"-"oate"#

In this case, the alcohol is ethanol, so we use ethyl. The carboxylic acid is propanoic acid, so we use propanoate.

This gives us ethyl propanoate.