EASTERN CAPE

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AMATHOLE WEST DISTRICT

2023 WORKSHEET

GRADE 12 EXPERIMENT 1 - ESTERS

1. Topic.

______________________________________________________________

2. Aim.

________________________________________________________________
[2]
3. List the apparatus and chemicals.
______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
[2]
4. Safety precautions, procedure / method and conducting the experiment.

4.1 While doing the experiment you will find the following labels on the chemicals.
Write down the meaning of each label.
HAZARD
CHEMICAL MEANING OF LABEL
LABEL
4.1.1
_____________________________________________
Ethanol

4.1.2
_____________________________________________
Pentanol

4.1.3
Ethanoic
_____________________________________________
acid
(Acetic acid)
4.1.4
Concentrated _____________________________________________
Sulfuric acid
 (4)

4.2 Mention two real precautions for this experiment. (Not accuracy of method, etc.)

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

4.3 Procedure (method)

1. Place a clean dry test tube in the test tube rack.

2. Use a mini pipette to add about 1 ml of ethanoic acid to the same test tube.
3. Use another clean mini pipette and add about 1 ml of ethanol to the same test
tube already containing the ethanoic acid.
4. Shake the test tube gently to mix the contents.
5. Smell the mixture by wafting your hand over the mouth of the test tube to bring
the smell to you.
N.B. DO NOT SMELL CHEMICALS BY SNIFFING ON THE TEST TUBE OR
CONTAINER DIRECTLY.
Identify the smell and write it down.
6. Hold the test tube at an angle. Using a mini pipette carefully add about 5 drops
of concentrated sulfuric acid, drop by drop, to the mixture in the test tube.
BE CAREFUL WHEN WORKING WITH CONCENTRATED SULFURIC ACID
AND DO NOT TOUCH IT.
7. Place the empty pipette you have just used in an empty, dry test tube for
use later. Don’t put it on the desk.
8. Gently shake the test tube containing the alcohol, carboxylic acid and sulphuric
acid mixture to mix the contents.
9. Boil some water in a kettle or over a burner and half fill a beaker or cup with the
hot water.
10. Put the test tube in the hot water for a few minutes.
11. Smell the product in the test tube by wafting the vapours to your nose. Write
down what you smell.
12. Repeat the above experiment but this time use pentanol as the alcohol. Use
clean dry test tubes.
(3)

4.4 Conducting the experiment. (Mark with rubric.)

 [9]

5. Recording results and observations

Test Alcohol Carboxylic Smells like: Ester (name)

tube acid

1 Ethanol Ethanoic acid

2 Pentanol Ethanoic acid

[4]

6. Interpretation.
Use structural formulae to write balanced equations for each of the reactions.

6.1

(3)

6.2

(3)
[6]

7. Conclusion.
Write a general statement regarding these reactions.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________________
[2]

8. Extension
Answer the following questions:

8.1 What is the function of the sulphuric acid in these reactions?

_______________________________________________________ (1)

8.2 What is this type of reaction known as?

_______________________________________________________ (1)

8.3 Use condensed structural formula to write down the reaction to represent the
preparation of methyl butanoate

(3)

8.4 What is one of the characteristic properties of esters that enable us to identify the
ester in this experiment

_______________________________________________________ (1)

8.5 Where will esters occur freely in nature

_______________________________________________________ (1)

8.6 Write down the general equation for the formation of an ester.

(3)

8. 7 Give 4 uses of esters

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

___________________________________________________ _

_____________________________________________________
(4)

8.8 Name one way in which animals use esters.

 .
_______________________________________________________ (1)
[15]
TOTAL: 40

Test

A group of learners wants to prepare an ester from ethanol and butanoic

acid. Four laboratory techniques used by different groups of learners are
shown in the table below.

1.1 Write down the name of the item of apparatus in the above diagrams
which will distribute heat evenly.

(1)

1.2 The learners hold a wet paper towel to close the mouth of the test tube
during the experiment. Give a reason for this procedure.

(1)
1.3 The reaction between ethanol and butanoic acid is slow. To speed up the
reaction, the contents of the test tube is heated. Techniques 1 and 2
illustrated above are used to heat the content.
1.3.1 Which Technique 1 or 2 is the best method to heat the contents of the
test tubes?

(1)
1.3.2 Give reason for the answer to QUESTION 1.3.1

(1)

1.4 Using structural formula, write down a balanced equation for the
preparation of this ester.

(4)

1.5 Write down the IUPAC name of this ester

(1)

1.6 The learners are told that the formation of an ester is accompanied by a
pleasant smell. Which technique 3 or 4, should be used to verify the
formation of the ester
 (1)
[10]

GRAND TOTAL: 50 Converted to a mark out of 15 for your SBA mark