The polarity of ethyl acetate and ethanol is related to its molecular structure and charge distribution, and has a key impact on everything in chemistry, such as dissolution and reaction. This article discusses the similarities and differences in the polarity of ethyl acetate and ethanol in detail.

For ethanol, its molecule contains hydroxyl (-OH). The oxygen atom in the hydroxyl group is very electronegative. When bonding with hydrogen atom, the electron cloud is biased towards the oxygen atom, causing the hydrogen atom to be partially positively charged and the oxygen atom to be partially negatively charged. This polar covalent bond is an important source of the polarity of ethanol. Moreover, the molecular structure of ethanol is relatively compact, and the charge distribution is uneven, and the overall polarity is relatively strong.

As for ethyl acetate, its structure contains ester group (-COO). Although there are oxygen atoms with high electronegativity in the ester group, compared with the hydroxyl group of ethanol, its contribution to molecular polarity is slightly different. In the ester group of ethyl acetate, the carbonyl group (C = O) is connected to the alkoxy group (-OR), and the electron cloud distribution is more dispersed than that of ethanol. From the perspective of the whole molecule, its charge distribution is less uneven than that of ethanol, so the polarity is relatively weak.

Looking at the polarity of the two, it can be seen from the dissolution phenomenon. Ethanol can miscible with water in any ratio, and it can form a strong hydrogen bond with water molecules, which is a sign of its strong polarity. The solubility of ethyl acetate in water is limited, indicating that it interacts weakly with water molecules, that is, its polarity is not as good as that of ethanol.

In summary, the polarity of ethanol is stronger than that of ethyl acetate. The reason is actually determined by the functional group characteristics and charge distribution in the molecular structure of the two. The wonders of chemistry can be seen here. The microscopic differences in molecules lead to great differences in macroscopic properties.