Question

Raina while doing certain reactions observed that heating of substance "X" with vinegar like smell with a substance "Y" (which is used as an industrial solvent) in presence of conc. Sulphuric acid on a water bath gives a sweet-smelling liquid "Z" having molecular formula C₄H₈O₂. When heated with caustic soda (NaOH), "Z" gives back the sodium salt of and the compound "Y".

Identify "X", "Y", and "Z". Illustrate the changes with the help of suitable chemical equations.

Answer 1

Heating substance X with substance Y in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid produces a sweet-smelling liquid Z with the molecular formula C4H8O2. Z can be converted into the sodium salt of Y when heated with caustic soda (NaOH). The chemical equations for these reactions are provided.

Step-by-step explanation:

The substance X that produces a vinegar-like smell when heated with substance Y (an industrial solvent) in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid is acetic acid (CH3COOH). Substance Z, which is the sweet-smelling liquid with the molecular formula C4H8O2, can be obtained by heating X and Y. When Z is heated with caustic soda (NaOH), it produces the sodium salt of Y and compound Z. In this reaction, the acetic acid is converted into the sodium salt of acetic acid, also known as sodium acetate (CH3COONa).

The chemical equations for these reactions are:

X + Y + conc. H2SO4 → Z + H2O

Z + NaOH → CH3COONa + Y

Answer 2

Substance 'X' is acetic acid, 'Y' is ethanol, and 'Z' is ethyl acetate, resulting from the esterification reaction. Ethyl acetate hydrolyzes back to sodium acetate and ethanol upon treatment with caustic soda.

Step-by-step explanation:

The compound 'X' with a vinegar-like smell is likely to be acetic acid (CH3COOH), while the substance 'Y', which is used as an industrial solvent and reacts to give a sweet-smelling liquid 'Z', is possibly ethanol (C2H5OH). The reaction described is an esterification reaction where a carboxylic acid (acetic acid) reacts with an alcohol (ethanol) in the presence of an acid catalyst (concentrated sulfuric acid) to form an ester (ethyl acetate) and water:

CH3COOH + C2H5OH → CH3COOC2H5 (ethyl acetate) + H2O

The ester 'Z' would therefore be ethyl acetate (CH3COOC2H5), which has the molecular formula C4H8O2. When 'Z' is heated with caustic soda (NaOH), a hydrolysis reaction occurs that gives back the sodium salt of acetic acid (sodium acetate) and ethanol.

CH3COOC2H5 + NaOH → CH3COONa + C2H5OH