Consider the following reaction pathway to produce an ester. What is compound A?

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To form an ester via a typical condensation (Fischer esterification) pathway, you combine a carboxylic acid (R-COOH) with an alcohol (R'-OH) to yield an ester (R-COOR') and water.

Option a: butan-1-ol. This is an alcohol that can act as the nucleophile (R'-OH) in esterification, reacting with a carboxylic acid to form an ester. This aligns with the standard reaction mechanism for ester formation.

Option b: butanoic acid. This is a carboxylic acid that would be the acyl component (giving the R-COOH part of the ester) rather than the alcohol. If the question asks for compound A specifically in a pathway to form an ester, A being the acid is also plausible in general, but the provided answer indicates A is the alcohol in this particular scheme.

Option c: butanone. A ketone has a carbonyl group but is not directly involved as the reactant in a simple Fischer esterification to yield an ester; it does not serve as the alcohol or acid in the standard ester-forming step.

Option d: butanal. An aldehyde has an terminal carbonyl but is not the typical reactant used in a straightforward esterification with a carboxylic acid to give an ester. It would require different reaction conditions and does not represent the common ester-forming partner in the simplest pathway.

In summary, given that the pathway aims to produce an ester via the standard acid + alcohol condensation, the molecule serving as the alcohol partner (and thus compound A in this context) is butan-1-ol. The other options either represent the acid, an inappropriate carbonyl compound for direct esterification, or do not participate in the classic ester-forming step.

MUF0042 Chemistry Unit 2 - Semester 2, 2025 3.15 Quiz: Reaction Pathways

Consider the following reaction pathway to produce an ester. What is compound A?

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