What types of products would you expect to find in methyl salicylate, isopentyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and octyl acetate.

I'm lost. Any ideas?

If this is all you have to go on, that makes it tough. Perhaps some of the starting materials of which each is made but I may have interpreted the problem incorrectly.

This lab is ruining me. isopentyl acetate is a blend of isopentanol, acetic acid, and sulfuric acid. How can products be determined from this information?

Remember this in organic chemistry. An organic acid plus an alcohol, in the presence of H2SO4, produces an ester.And I object to the word "blend". It is not a blend (blend says mixture to me), it is a reaction.

The acid is acetic acid; the alcohol is isopentyl alcohol. Usually esters are prepared using an excess of the acid (so the alcohol is the limiting reagent). That way the alcohol is used (completely if the reaction goes 100%--which they rarely do) because it's relatively easy to get rid of the excess acid (usually by extracting with NaHCO3). So for isopentyl acetate, I would think you might find small amounts of acetic acid (if the NaHCO3 didn't get all of it) or some isopentyl alcohol (if the reaction didn't use all of it). So I think I've interpreted the question correctly. Look at how the others are made and make predictions on which starting materials may be present in the final product.

To determine the types of products present in methyl salicylate, isopentyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and octyl acetate, we need to understand their chemical compositions and functional groups.

Methyl salicylate, also known as oil of wintergreen, has the chemical formula C8H8O3. It is an ester that contains a methyl group (CH3) and a carboxyl group (COO) attached to a benzene ring. Methyl salicylate is commonly used in skincare products, liniments, and as a flavoring agent.

Isopentyl acetate, also known as banana oil, has the chemical formula C7H14O2. It is an ester that consists of an isopentyl group (CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-) and a carboxyl group (COO). Isopentyl acetate is frequently used as a flavoring compound in food products and as an additive in perfumes.

Ethyl acetate has the chemical formula C4H8O2. It is an ester that contains an ethyl group (CH3-CH2-) and a carboxyl group (COO). Ethyl acetate is a common solvent used in various industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Octyl acetate, also known as octyl ethanoate, has the chemical formula C10H20O2. It is an ester consisting of an octyl group (CH3-(CH2)6-) and a carboxyl group (COO). Octyl acetate is often used as a flavoring agent in food products and as an ingredient in perfumes and personal care items.

In summary, the products found in these compounds are primarily esters, which have diverse applications ranging from flavor and fragrance ingredients to solvents and skincare products.