Final answer:
Ethanol and acetic acid react in a condensation reaction to produce the ester ethyl ethanoate, with the reaction also known as esterification. A 1:1 molar ratio is used, and at equilibrium, concentrations are governed by the equilibrium constant and initial amounts of reactants and products.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chemical reactants that produce the ester ethyl ethanoate (C4H8O2) are ethanol (C2H5OH) and acetic acid (CH3COOH). The type of reaction that occurs to make ethyl ethanoate is a condensation reaction. In this process, the alcohol group from ethanol reacts with the carboxylic acid group from acetic acid to form ethyl acetate (CH3CO2CH2CH3) and water (H2O). This reaction is a type of esterification, which involves the formation of an ester and water.
The reactants are used in a 1:1 molar ratio according to the balanced chemical equation, whereby ethanol is often the limiting reactant if there is an excess of acetic acid. Additionally, when considering equilibrium, factors such as the equilibrium constant and initial concentrations need to be taken into account to predict the concentrations of reactants and products at equilibrium.