Question

Question: Is the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of acetamide a reversible or an irreversible reaction? Explain.

Short answer

Answer

Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of acetamide is an irreversible reaction.

Step-by-step solution

Product formed by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of acetamide

When acetamide undergoes hydrolysis in the presence of acid, it forms acetic acid and

ammonium ion. The reaction is given below.

Identifying reversible or irreversible

The reaction is an irreversible reaction because acetic acid cannot react with ammonium ion since it is not a nucleophile. Moreover, of ammonium ion is greater than that of acetic acid. Thus, they are not in their reactive acidic or basic form.

If the solution obtained is acidic, then both acetic acid and ammonium ion will be in its acidic form, and ammonium ion cannot act as nucleophile.

Acidic constituents

Similarly, if the solution obtained is basic, then both will be in their basic form, and the nucleophile cannot attack the carboxylate ion.

Basic constituents