Which compound is a product of the hydrolysis of the of CH$_3$COOC$_3$H$_7$ with aqueous sodium hydroxide?

Analyze the question: CH₃COOC₃H₇ is an ester (propyl ethanoate). Hydrolysis with aqueous NaOH is called saponification (alkaline hydrolysis). We need to identify a product.

Concept: An ester is made of two parts:

• The acid part (from ethanoic acid): CH₃COO–
• The alcohol part (from propanol): –C₃H₇

In alkaline hydrolysis, the ester reacts with NaOH to give the sodium salt of the carboxylic acid plus the alcohol:

RCOOR' + NaOH → RCOONa + R'OH

Solution:

CH₃COOC₃H₇ + NaOH → CH₃COONa + C₃H₇OH

The products are:

• Sodium ethanoate (CH₃COONa)
• Propan-1-ol (C₃H₇OH)

Checking the options:

• A. CH₃COONa: correct, it is sodium ethanoate.
• B. CH₃COONaCCH₃OH: not a real compound, just a garbled formula.
• C. CH₃OH: methanol, which would come from a methyl ester.
• D. C₂H₅OH: ethanol, which would come from an ethyl ester.
• E. C₃H₇COONa: sodium butanoate, which would need a butanoic acid ester.

Only A matches a product of this reaction. The other product, propanol, is not listed among the options.

Tip: In saponification, the acid part becomes the sodium salt and the alkyl group becomes the alcohol. Match the carbons: the part with C=O (CH₃COO–) gives the salt, and the part after the oxygen (C₃H₇) gives the alcohol.