Saponification of ethyl acetate in base yields which salt?

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Multiple Choice

Saponification of ethyl acetate in base yields which salt?

Saponification of an ester in base converts the ester into a carboxylate and an alcohol. The hydroxide attacks the carbonyl, the alkoxy group leaves as an alkoxide, and under basic conditions this becomes the corresponding alcohol, while the carboxyl part ends up as a carboxylate ion. That carboxylate then pairs with the metal cation from the base. If the base is sodium hydroxide, the carboxylate is sodium acetate, giving sodium acetate and ethanol. The same reaction with a different base would give the corresponding salt (e.g., potassium acetate with KOH, ammonium acetate with NH4OH). Here, the salt formed is sodium acetate.

Saponification of an ester in base converts the ester into a carboxylate and an alcohol. The hydroxide attacks the carbonyl, the alkoxy group leaves as an alkoxide, and under basic conditions this becomes the corresponding alcohol, while the carboxyl part ends up as a carboxylate ion. That carboxylate then pairs with the metal cation from the base. If the base is sodium hydroxide, the carboxylate is sodium acetate, giving sodium acetate and ethanol. The same reaction with a different base would give the corresponding salt (e.g., potassium acetate with KOH, ammonium acetate with NH4OH). Here, the salt formed is sodium acetate.

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