Question:
Can you please tell me the details of the experiment where you use jelly beans in lieu of esters?
Answer:
Esters – A Tasty Investigation
(This activity compliments the Experiment 32 in STAWA Year 12 ATAR Exploring Chemistry Laboratory Manual).
Key Ideas:Alcohols and carboxylic acids react to form esters.
Esters have pleasant odours and are used to give food flavour.
The laboratory preparation of esters is dangerous and not always very successful.
By giving the students the equations to write and then the jellybean to identify the flavour, the activity is enjoyable, relevant and fulfills the purpose of the experiment.
The jellybeans used are Jelly Belly brand. For suppliers, see the Suppliers page under Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. Different flavours can be bought individually by weight.
EQUATIONS:
pentanol + ethanoic acid produces pentyl ethanoate + H2O (Banana)
octanol + ethanoic acid produces octyl ethanoate + H2O (Orange)
pentanol + pentanoic acid produces pentyl pentanoate + H2O (Apple)
pentanol + butanoic acid produces pentyl butanoate + H2O (Pear)
ethanol + methanoic acid produces ethyl methanoate + H2O (Raspberry)
methanol + butanoic acid produces methyl butanoate + H2O (Pineapple)