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Is the esterification of glyceryl ethanoate a reversible equation?

Answer 1

Yes, the formation of glyceryl ethanoate is reversible.

Any ester can be formed through a reversible reaction that is catalyzed by an acid.

The overall formula is

#underbrace("RCOOH")_color(red)("acid") + underbrace("R'OH")_color(red)("alcohol") stackrelcolor (blue)("acid")(⇌) underbrace("RCOOR'")_color(red)("ester") + underbrace("H"_2"O")_color(red)("water")#

Glycerol and ethanoic acid are the first two ingredients needed to make glyceryl ethanoate.

#underbrace("C"_3"H"_5("OH")_3)_color(red)("glycerol") + 3underbrace("CH"_3"COOH")_color(red)("ethanoic acid") stackrelcolor (blue)("acid")(⇌) underbrace("C"_3"H"_5("OCOCH"_3)_3)_color(red)("glyceryl ethanoate") + 3underbrace("H"_2"O")_color(red)("water")#

Le Châtelier's Principle must be applied because the reaction is reversible in order to obtain a high ester yield.

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Answer 2

Ruby Allen

Yes, the esterification of glyceryl ethanoate is a reversible equation.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.