1) During the workup, you added NaHCO3 to the reaction mixture. This base reacts with the leftover acetic acid. This reaction is the vinegar and baking soda reaction that you may have performed as a child. The final products of the neutralization reaction are CO2 and water. a) Write a balanced equation for this neutralization reaction. b)What product is initially formed? This product decomposes to give CO2 + H2O?

2) What change, if any, would be observed if you increased the amount of sulfuric acid added to the reaction mixture?

3) Considering the reversibility of the Fischer esterification, what would the reaction product be if isopentyl acetate were reacted with a large quantity of water in the presence of an acid catalyst?

4) Describe the odor of your ester product (isopentyl acetate) compared to the odor of the reactants (acetic acid and isopentyl alcohol).

5) Considering the boiling points listed in table 1, would it be reasonable to attempt collecting your ester product as it is formed by a continuous distillation during the reaction?

6) How does your experimental boiling point range compare to the literature boiling point value listed in table 1?