Name: Ana Rodriguez

Date: 2/4/15
Chemistry
Brianna Balke

Title
Purpose
The purpose of this lab is to learn the process by which sweet smells are synthesized.

Introduction
Identifying the kind of smell of a substance without no type of information is difficult
but there are several methods or factors that help you to identify what you are smelling. For
example, you can figure the smell out by its molecular formula. An example of this is if the
molecular formula has an oxygen atom at the end you know it will be sweet or sour and if the
formula ends with a Nitrogen atom it is going to be smelly. Another way you can figure out the
smell is about its structural formula which can be its structure. If the oxygen is in the middle of
the carbon it is going to be sweet and sour and if the oxygen is at the end it will be a result of a
putrid smell. As you can see there can be many ways to find out a smell.
Procedure
Wintergreen:
1. Add 6
drops of methyl alcohol to the test tube that has salicylic acid pre-measured.
2. Gently agitate the mixture.
3. Add 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid (H
SO
).
2
4
4. Gently agitate the mixture.
5. Place the test tube in a beaker of hot water for 3 minutes.
6. Add 15
drops of water.
7. Carefully smell the mixture, and record the smell.
Grape:
1. Add 6drops of
mentyhyl
alcohol to the test tube that has salicylic acid pre-measured.
2. Gently agitate the mixture.
3. Add 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid (H
SO
).
2
4
4. Gently agitate the mixture.
5. Place the test tube in a beaker of hot water for 3 minutes.
6. Add 15
drops of water.
7. Carefully smell the mixture, and record the smell.

Pear:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Add 6
drops of
n-propyl
alcohol to a clean test tube.
Add 1
drops of
sulfuric
acid.
Gently agitate the mixture.
Add 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid (H
SO
).
2
4
Gently agitate the mixture.
Place the test tube in a beaker of hot water for 3 minutes.
Add 20
drops of water.
Carefully smell the mixture, and record the smell.

Banana:
1. Add 6
drops of
isoamyl
alcohol to a clean test tube.
2. Add 1
drops of
sulfuric
acid.
3. Gently agitate the mixture.
4. Add 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid (H
SO
).
2
4
5. Gently agitate the mixture.
6. Place the test tube in a beaker of hot water for 3 minutes.
7. Add 20
drops of water.
8. Carefully smell the mixture, and record the smell.
Orange:
1. Add 6
drops of
octyl
alcohol to a clean test tube.
2. Add 1
drops of
sulfuric
acid.
3. Gently agitate the mixture.
4. Add 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid (H
SO
).
2
4
5. Gently agitate the mixture.
6. Place the test tube in a beaker of hot water for 3 minutes.
7. Add 20
drops of water.
8. Carefully smell the mixture, and record the smell.

Pineapple:
1. Add 6
drops of
n-butyl
alcohol to a clean test tube.
2. Add 1
drops of
sulfuric
acid.
3. Gently agitate the mixture.
4. Add 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid (H
SO
).
2
4
5. Gently agitate the mixture.
6. Place the test tube in a beaker of hot water for 3 minutes.
7. Add 20
drops of water.
8. Carefully smell the mixture, and record the smell.
Strawberry:

1. This reaction must take place in a fume hood because it uses a smelly compound called
.
2. Add 6
drops of
ethyl
alcohol to a clean test tube.
3. Add 1
drops of
sulfuric
acid.
4. Gently agitate the mixture.
5. Add 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid (H
SO
).
2
4
6. Gently agitate the mixture.
7. Place the test tube in a beaker of hot water for 3 minutes.
8. Add 20
drops of water.
9. Carefully smell the mixture, and record the smell.
Apple:
1. This reaction must take place in a fume hood because it uses a smelly compound called
.
2. Add 6
drops of
methyl
alcohol to a clean test tube.
3. Add 1
drops of
sulfuric
acid.
4. Gently agitate the mixture.
5. Add 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid (H
SO
).
2
4
6. Gently agitate the mixture.
7. Place the test tube in a beaker of hot water for 3 minutes.
8. Add 20
drops of water.
9. Carefully smell the mixture, and record the smell.

Results
Attach page that looks like this (filled out):
REACTANTS
Alcohol

Carboxylic Acid

PRODUCT

FLAVOR

Ester

Intended

Methyl Alcohol
Methyl Salicylate
Salicyclic Acid
Wintergreen

Methyl Alcohol

Methyl Anthrallate
anthrallic acid

Grape

Observed

N-Propyl Alcohol

Glacial Acetic

N-propyl glacetic

Pear

Isoamyl Alcohol

Glacial Acetic

Isoamyl Glacetic
Banana

Ocytl Alcohol

Ocytl Glacetic
Glacial Acetic

Orange

N-butyl
Butyric

N-butyl Butyric

Pineapple

Ethyl Alcohol

Butyric Acid

Ethyl Butric
Strawberry

Methyl Alcohol
Butyric Acid

Methyl Butyric
Apple

Analysis of Results
Part 2: Questions
Answer the questions below:
1. What evidence do you have that an ester was produced in each of your reactions?
The evidence I have that makes me know the reactions produced an ester was because I know that the
two compounds that make an ester is a type of alcohol and a type of acid, and every smell is combining an
alcohol and acid.
2. What is the role of sulfuric acid in this reaction? How come it isnt listed with the other reactants?
The role sulfuric acid is to accelerate the chemical and this is called Catalyst.
3. If you wanted to synthesize a molecule that had the sweet smell of cinnamon (pictured below), what
would you do? What ingredients would you mix? (Draw them.) What reaction would take place?

Ethyl Cinnamate

Conclusion
In your own words,
describe
what happens at a
molecular level
when an ester synthesis reaction takes place.

Appendix: Skeletal Structures for Alcohols and Carboxylic Acids Used in this Lab
Alcohol

Carboxylic Acid

Methyl

Salicylic Acid

n-Propyl

Isoamyl

Anthranilic Acid

Octyl

n-Butyl

Acetic Acid

Ethyl

Butyric Acid