Which reactants produce an ester?

A) Carboxylic acid and alcohol

B) Alcohol and an oxidizing agent

C) Acid and base

D) Acid and salt

The answer is Carboxylic acid and alcohol.

A) Carboxylic acid and alcohol

Explanation:

Esters are produced by the esterification of carboxylic acid with alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst. This process is essentially a condensation reaction in which a molecule of water is released along with the formation of the ester.

For example consider the reaction of acetic acid (CH3COOH) with methanol (CH3OH):

CH3COOH + HOCH3 → CH3COOCH3 + H2O

The product formed is acetoacetic ester along with a molecule of water.