The product formed by the reaction of acetaldehyde with excess of ethanol in the presence of sulphuric acid is:

Options

A. `C_(2)H_(5)OCH_(2)CH_(2)OC_(2)H_(5)`
B. Ketal
C. `CH_(3)CH(OC_(2)H_(5))_(2)`
D. `CH_(3)CH(OH)_(2)`

Explanation

To solve the problem of determining the product formed by the reaction of acetaldehyde with excess ethanol in the presence of sulfuric acid, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Reactants
The reactants in this reaction are:
- Acetaldehyde (CH3CHO)
- Ethanol (C2H5OH)
- Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)

### Step 2: Understand the Role of Sulfuric Acid
Sulfuric acid acts as a catalyst in this reaction. It helps in the protonation of the reactants and facilitates the formation of the electrophile.

### Step 3: Formation of the Electrophile
In the presence of sulfuric acid, the hydroxyl group of ethanol can be protonated, leading to the formation of a better electrophile. This protonation increases the electrophilic character of the acetaldehyde.

### Step 4: Nucleophilic Attack
The carbonyl carbon of acetaldehyde (which is electrophilic) will be attacked by the nucleophilic ethanol. This leads to the formation of a hemiacetal intermediate.

### Step 5: Formation of Hemiacetal
The reaction between acetaldehyde and ethanol results in the formation of a hemiacetal:
\[ \text{CH}_3\text{CHO} + \text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{OH} \rightarrow \text{CH}_3\text{CH(OH)C}_2\text{H}_5 \]

### Step 6: Dehydration to Form Acetal
In the presence of excess ethanol and under acidic conditions, the hemiacetal can further react to form an acetal. This involves the elimination of a water molecule:
\[ \text{CH}_3\text{CH(OH)C}_2\text{H}_5 \rightarrow \text{CH}_3\text{CH(OEt)C}_2\text{H}_5 + \text{H}_2\text{O} \]

### Step 7: Final Product
The final product formed is an acetal, specifically:
\[ \text{CH}_3\text{CH(OEt)C}_2\text{H}_5 \]
This can be represented as:
\[ \text{CH}_3\text{CH(OEt)C}_2\text{H}_5 \]
where "OEt" indicates the ethoxy group derived from ethanol.

### Conclusion
The product formed by the reaction of acetaldehyde with excess ethanol in the presence of sulfuric acid is:
**CH3CH(OEt)C2H5** (an acetal).