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JEE Main levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 2 of 3co177

Ethanoic acid is heated with ethanol labelled as in the presence of conc. . Assuming the usual acyl-oxygen cleavage mechanism of Fischer esterification, the label is found in

  1. Athe ester only
  2. Bthe unreacted ethanoic acid only
  3. Cthe water only
  4. Dboth the ester and the water equally

Answer: A

In Fischer esterification the alcohol oxygen attacks the protonated carbonyl carbon and the water that leaves is made from the acid plus a proton. So the C-O bond of the alcohol is retained and the label goes into the ester , not into water.
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