Final answer:
The statement is true; adding water to the reaction mixture containing acetic anhydride and salicylic acid results in the hydrolysis of remaining acetic anhydride into acetic acid, which helps in separating it from the produced acetylsalicylic acid.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the preparation of acetylsalicylic acid, which is commonly known as aspirin, acetic anhydride is reacted with salicylic acid to form aspirin through an esterification reaction.
This reaction can be catalyzed by an acid such as sulfuric or phosphoric acid.
If water is added to the reaction mixture, it will convert remaining acetic anhydride into acetic acid, facilitating the separation of unreacted acetic anhydride from the produced acetylsalicylic acid, as acetic anhydride is more soluble in water than acetylsalicylic acid.
Therefore, the statement is true.
Acetic anhydride is a reactive acyl substrate and readily hydrolyzes to form acetic acid when it comes into contact with water.
This reaction is valuable for purifying the aspirin and ensuring that the unreacted starting materials do not remain in the final product.