This key facts covers Ester Naming and Conditions within Carboxylic Acids for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Carboxylic Acids in Organic Chemistry for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 7 of 15 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 7 of 15
Practice
20 questions
Recall
15 flashcards
🏷️ Ester Naming and Conditions
How to name an ester: The name comes from the alcohol first, then the acid. Change the "-anol" of the alcohol to the alcohol stem + "-yl", and change "-oic acid" to "-oate".
- Ethanol + Ethanoic acid → Ethyl ethanoate
- Methanol + Propanoic acid → Methyl propanoate
Conditions for esterification: Concentrated sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) as a catalyst, and the mixture is heated. The reaction is reversible (⇌), so excess acid or alcohol is used to improve yield.