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ethyl acetate

ethyl acetate

6.9
A clear liquid with a sweet smell used to dissolve things and make flavors and perfumes
  • noun
  • /ˈɛθɪl ˈæsɪteɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : acetato de etilo
  • Nail polish removers often contain ethyl acetate as a primary solvent.

Examples

  • Many artificial fruit flavors are created with ethyl acetate for its pleasant, sweet aroma.

  • The laboratory used ethyl acetate to extract organic compounds from the mixture.

  • The laboratory used ethyl acetate as a solvent.

  • You can smell the ethyl acetate in the air.

  • Many artificial fruit flavors are created with ethyl acetate for its pleasant, sweet aroma.

  • Nail polish removers often contain ethyl acetate as a primary solvent.

  • The laboratory used ethyl acetate to extract organic compounds from the mixture.

How Reactive

ethanoyl chloride
  • Specialized
9.9
ethanol
  • Specialized
66 4.1
ethyl acetate
  • Specialized
6.9
ethane
  • Specialized
4 6.7

Surface Forms

ethyl acetate singular

Morphology

ethyl + acetate

The term is a systematic chemical name formed by combining the constituent functional groups; knowing 'ethyl' (an ethyl group) and 'acetate' (an acetate salt/ester) allows a learner to infer this is the ester formed from ethyl + acetate — i.e. a specific chemical solvent. Although technical, the composition follows regular chemical naming conventions common across languages, so the overall meaning is predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Ethyl acetate gets its name from two parts: ethyl (from alcohol) and acetate (from the old word for 'vinegar'). Made from an alcohol and a vinegar-like acid, it has a sweet, fruity smell and is used as a solvent in flavorings and nail polish remover.