The objective of this experiment is to prepare isopentyl acetate by direct esterification of acetic acid and isopentyl alcohol. Esterification is carried out by utilizing organic chemistry techniques, such as heating under reflux, extraction, and simple distillation. The acid and alcohol would be combined and heated under reflux; which heats/speeds up the reaction without having the reactants/products evaporate or explode. During reflux, the heating and condensing of the vapor prevents any loss of solvent. As a result, reflux keeps the volume of the solution consistent while inducing reactions. Since equilibrium is not in favor in the formation of the ester, acetic acid had to be added in excess. Though this wouldn’t cause a visible change
