An ester is named ethyl ethanoate. This tells us that it was formed from
- A. ethanoic acid and ethanol
- B. ethanol and methanoic acid
- C. ethanoic acid and methanol
- D. ethanal and ethanol
Explanation
The first part of an ester name comes from the alcohol and the second from the acid, so ethyl ethanoate is made from ethanol and ethanoic acid. Methyl ethanoate would come from methanol and the same acid, which is the closest distractor. Reading ester names in this order is essential when working backwards to identify the reactants.
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