Question: In this virtual lab exercise, multiple products were obtained, and distillation was performed to try to isolate only one of those products. The products that

In this virtual lab exercise, multiple products were obtained, and distillation was performed to try to isolate only one of those products. The products that were obtained were methyl 3-oxopentanoate, methyl acetylacetanoate, methyl 2-methyl-3-oxobutanoate, and methyl 2-methyl-3-oxopentanoate

1. Explain why all of these products are obtained, referring to your answer to Analysis Question 1 as part of your explanation. In question 1, the answer was sodium ethoxide being a strong choice for deprotonation of the alpha hydrogen of the ester.

2. Propose a modification to the procedure so that only one major product would form.

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