The equilibrium is driven towards the product by removing some of the product and permitting it to condense and remain in the side arm of the distillation head, throughout the reaction time. The collected water separates from the desired n-propyl propanoate product in the side arm which when tipped back into the RB flask, the water layer remains and the n-propyl propanoate is back in the flask. In addition, for this experiment sulfuric acid serves as a catalyst which goes into the reaction the same way it came out. This strong acid speeds up the reaction towards equilibrium because it is a fast proton source for the oxygen carbonyl to pick up. It eventually gains back its proton from a protonated oxygen to prove itself as a catalyst.
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