Question

On mixing ethyl acetate with aqueous sodium chloride the composition of the resultant solution is:
A. \[C{{H}_{3}}COO{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{5}}+NaCl\]
B. \[C{{H}_{3}}Cl+NaCOO{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{5}}\]
C. \[C{{H}_{3}}COCl+{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{5}}OH+NaOH\]
D. \[C{{H}_{3}}COONa+{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{5}}OH\]

Answer 1

Hint: Ester is a low reactive compound. It always reacts with a strong base or with strong acid. Due to low reactivity it never reacts with a salt or with a neutral compound.

Complete step by step solution:
Ethyl acetate is an ester compound. It is an ester of ethyl and methyl groups. In this compound ethyl and methyl groups are connected by ester linkage. Ester has lower reactivity than any carbonyl compounds like ketone, aldehyde etc. It only reacts in presence of any strong acid or with any strong base. It does not react with a neutral compound like salt.

Sodium chloride is a neutral compound. It is a salt of strong base sodium hydroxide and a strong acid hydrochloric acid or hydrogen chloride. Thus when ethyl acetate is treated with sodium chloride no reaction takes place. Thus a mixture of ethyl acetate and sodium chloride is obtained.

So, we can write that on mixing ethyl acetate with aqueous sodium chloride the composition of the resultant solution is \[C{{H}_{3}}COO{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{5}}+NaCl\].
Thus the correct option is A.

Note: Ester reacts with water to form an alcohol and an acid. Thus ethyl acetate also reacts with water to undergo hydrolysis and form ethyl alcohol along with acetic acid as the major products.