When acetic acid reacts with ammonia, NH3, the reaction called
A amidation yields
B amino acetate.
C acetamine.
D ammonium acetate.
E ethylammonium hydroxide.
F ethanamide
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is F: ethanamide.
Explanation:
When acetic acid (CH₃COOH) reacts with ammonia (NH₃), it undergoes a reaction called amidation, forming ethanamide (commonly known as acetamide, CH₃CONH₂).
The reaction can be broken down as follows:
- Acetic acid (CH₃COOH) is a carboxylic acid, containing a carboxyl group (-COOH), which is highly reactive towards nucleophiles.
- Ammonia (NH₃) is a weak base that contains a lone pair of electrons on nitrogen, which makes it a good nucleophile. The nitrogen in ammonia will attack the electrophilic carbonyl carbon (C=O) of the acetic acid molecule.
The process involves the following steps:
- The nitrogen from ammonia attacks the electrophilic carbonyl carbon of acetic acid.
- A bond forms between the nitrogen and carbonyl carbon, resulting in the formation of an amide linkage (-C=O-NH₂).
- This reaction also leads to the release of water (H₂O), a common feature of amidation reactions.
Thus, the product formed is ethanamide (acetamide), with the formula CH₃CONH₂. This is an example of an amide functional group, where an amine (NH₃) reacts with a carboxylic acid (acetic acid) to form the amide.
Other Options:
- Amino acetate (B): This would involve the formation of an amino group bonded to the acetate group, but this is not the product of the amidation.
- Acetamine (C): This is a term that is not typically used in organic chemistry.
- Ammonium acetate (D): This is the result of acetic acid reacting with ammonia in a neutralization reaction, not amidation.
- Ethylammonium hydroxide (E): This does not apply to the reaction between acetic acid and ammonia.