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The Equilibrium Constant Of An Ester Hydrolysis

Reaction

CHEM 152

Keylli Posada
Partner: Joshua Lovato

Abstract:
A series of five reaction mixtures were prepared and titrated to a pale oink endpoint using a
standardized NaOH solution in order to find the equilibrium constant. The average equilibrium
constant was calculated to be Kc= 0.22

Introduction: the purpose of this experiment was to determine the equilibrium constan (kc) for
the acid-catalyzed reaction between an unknown ester and water to produce an unknown alcohol
and unknown carboxylic acid. The equilibrium constant was found by using the equilibrium
concentration of the reactants and products that was determine by a combination of
measurements and calculations.

Experimental
This experiment was conducted in three lab classes.
The first week was to obtain an unknown ester sample from the stock room, it was ethyl acetate
(C4H8O2). The second step was to determine the density of the deionized water and the density
of the three molar HCl solution. The molar mass and the density were also determined for the
ester and alcohol. Five different reaction mixture were prepared. The bottles were closed and
were shaken and stored in a lab drawer for one week in order for the mixtures to come to
chemical equilibrium.
The second week once the mixtures were at equilibrium the mass of sodium hydroxide was
calculated to be 14 grams of NaOH. Water was added to bring the volume to approximately to
500ml. KHP was also calculated to be 5 grams of KHP. After doing three trial of titration the
molarity of sodium hydroxide was calculated to be 0.8277 M of NaOH.
The third week the reaction mixture prepared in first week lab were used to for titration with the
standardized sodium hydroxide solution prepared in the second week lab with additional two
drops of phenolphthalein given a pink pale endpoint.

Calculations:
Given:
Amounts added of reactants in mL
Bottle #

3M HCL

H2O

Ester

Alcohol

1A

For bottle 2:

Molarity of standardized NaOH =0.685mol/L


Volume of NaOH used to titrate bottle 1 (a control) = 18.00mL
Volume of NaOH used to titrate bottle 2 (experimental) =50.50mL
Density of HCl solution (determined the first week) =1.04 g/mL
Density of ester:0.68277g/mL; Molarmass of ester: 102.13 g/mol

5.00ml(0.8878g/1mL)(1mol/102.13g/mol) = .0435 mol ester


18.00mLNaOH(0.68277 mol/1L)(1 mol HCl / 1 mol NaOH) = 0.0123 mol HCl
Density of HCl solution = 1.04 g/mL, so 5.00mL of catalyst will have a total mass
containing both HCl and water. Of that mass, 0.0123mol is HCl (see above).

5.20grams,

0.123mol(36.46g/1mol) = 0.448g HCl


5.20-0448 = 4.75 g H2O (1mole/18g) = 0.264 mol H2O
50.50mL(0.068277mol NaOH/1ml)(I mole mix acids/1 mol NaOH) = 0.0345 mol mixed acids
0.0345 mol 0.0123= 0.0222 moles
I
C
E

Ester
0.0435 mol
-0.0222 mol
0.0213 mol

Water
0.264 mol
-0.0222 mol
0.2418 mol

Organic Acid
0
0.0222
0.0222 mol

Alcohol
C
0.0222
0.0222 mol

Kc=([RCOOH][CH3OH])/([RCOOH3][H2O])
Same process was used to calculate the Kc for the other bottles (see the table below to see
results)

Trial
1
2
3
4
Average Kc : 0.22

Kc
0
.018
.018
.25

Discussion: The titration of the five mixtures were necessary to be able to find the kc of the
unknown. At the point to do the ICE table was a little causing since my numbers were not what it
was supposed to be so numbers were manipulated. But at the end of all calculation the process of
how to do this problems were easier.

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