EXPERIMENT NO 1

HYDROLYSIS OF METHYL ACETATE

OBJECTIVE:

To find the rate equation for hydrolysis of methyl acetate.

EQUIPMENT / APPARATUS:

Conical flasks, pipette, burette, stopwatch, heating system.

CHEMICALS:

0.5N HCl, Methyl acetate, 0.1N NaOH and phenolphthalein indicator.

THEORY

In a first order reaction of kind A products

The rate is directly proportional to the concentration of the reacting substance, at a constant temperature.

-dC/dt = kC --------- (1)

when k is rate constant and C is the concentration of A in the reaction mixture

If ‘a’ is the initial concentration and ‘x’ is the decrease in concentration after time ‘t’, then C = a-x. In that
case equation no (1) becomes,

dx/dt = k (a-x) -------- (2)

The quantity on the left is the measure of rate of decomposition and is called the reaction velocity.
k is determined by graphical method. Equation (2) is rearranged and integrated
(with in the limits at t = 0, x = 0
at t = t, x = x)

a
ln = kt ----------- (3)
a-x

Rearrange equation (3);

 ln a – ln (a-x) = kt --------- (4)

For a given reaction the just term on the left is a constant. Hence the graph of ln (a-x) vs t is linear and
slope –k. From graph slope k is obtained.
Methyl acetate is readily hydrolysed to give methanol and acetic acid by the reaction.

CH3COOCH3 + H2O + H+ CH3COOH + CH3OH

The reaction is catalysed by hydrogen ions. Water is present in such excess that only methyl
acetate appear to change in concentration, also any back reaction is prevented. Each molecule of methyl
acetate hydrolysed produces one molecule of acetic acid. Hence the increase in acidity is a direct measure
of the amount of ester that has reacted.
Suppose the volumes of standard solution of NaOH required for the neutralization of a known
volume of the reaction mixture at the commencement of the reaction, after time t and at the end of the
reaction are V0, Vt, Vα respectively. Then,
x, the amount of acid formed is proportional to Vt – V0
a, the initial concentration of ester is proportional to Vα – V0
therefore, (a – x), the concentration of ester present at time t is proportional to Vα – Vt
Hence equation (4) can be rearranged to give

Vα – V0
ln = kt ----------(5)
Vα – Vt

Since Vα – V0 is constant a graph of ln (Vα – Vt) vs t is linear with slope –k.

PROCEDURE

1. Transfer 100ml of 0.5N HCl in to a dry stopped 500ml conical flask.

2. Pipette out exactly 5ml of methyl acetate into this flask and simultaneously start a stop watch.
3. Shake thoroughly and immediately withdraw a 5ml sample of the mixture and transfer into 25ml
of ice-cold water. Note the time at which pipette has been half discharged into the water.
4. Titrate the content with 0.1N NaOH solution.
5. Repeat the titration of further 5ml sample after 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 minutes.
6. After this remaining portion of the mixture is heated so that the reaction goes to completion. Cool
it and pipette out 5ml into 25ml ice cold water.
7. Titrate as before using phenolphthalein as indicator.
RESULT

Rate constant k =
The rate equation for the hydrolysis of methyl acetate is –rA =
OBSERVATIONS

Sample Reaction Time Titrate Value, Vt (Vα – Vt)

ln (Vα – Vt)
no: (min) (ml) (ml)
1 10
2 20
3 30
4 40
5 50
6 60
7 70

Sample Calculation:
From graph, slope – k =
The rate equation for the hydrolysis of methyl acetate is, -rA = k CAn
-rA =

GRAPH