Making an Ester: Ethyl Ethanoate Test-Tube Preparation Virtual Lab
A small-scale preparation of ethyl ethanoate (ethyl acetate): reagent order, anti-bumping granules, gentle heating, a stopper with a long delivery tube, and the tube ending above saturated sodium carbonate solution. The check flags a sealed tube, a delivery tube dipping into the liquid (suck-back) or a sodium hydroxide receiver; heating shows the oily layer, bubbles and smell, and explains each step.
About this simulation
- What
- An interactive Chemistry simulation of Making an Ester: Ethyl Ethanoate Test-Tube Preparation Virtual Lab.
- Who
- Designed for AP, IB, and A‑Level Chemistry students.
- How
- Runs in any modern browser — drag, adjust, and explore in real time.
Updated 2026-10-11
Key Concepts
Esterification
Ethanoic acid and ethanol, heated with a concentrated sulfuric acid catalyst, form ethyl ethanoate and water. The reaction is reversible.
Concentrated sulfuric acid
A catalyst, and a dehydrating agent: it removes the water formed and shifts the equilibrium towards the ester.
Saturated sodium carbonate
Neutralises the ethanoic acid that distils over, dissolves ethanol, and lowers the ester's solubility so it separates as a layer.
Preventing suck-back
The delivery tube ends just above the liquid, never in it; the long tube also acts as an air condenser.
What This Ester Preparation Lab Teaches
Heating ethanoic acid and ethanol with a concentrated sulfuric acid catalyst forms the ester ethyl ethanoate. This small-scale test-tube method, standard in Chinese textbooks, puts every important idea into the details: the order of adding reagents, the roles of sulfuric acid and sodium carbonate, anti-bumping granules, gentle heating and preventing suck-back.
Every detail is your choice: the reagent order, the stopper, the liquid in the receiving tube and whether the delivery tube ends above or below its surface. The check flags dangers and errors, and heating shows the result — an oily layer, bubbles and a fruity smell, or suck-back, bumping or a hydrolysed product.
For the A-level route to a pure ester liquid (reflux, then distillation and washing), see the Reflux & Distillation Lab.
Frequently Asked Questions
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