What is esterification?

Esterification is defined as the process in which an alcohol reacts with a carboxylic acid to produce an ester and water. This reaction typically involves the hydroxyl group (-OH) from the carboxylic acid and a hydrogen atom (H) from the alcohol, leading to the formation of the ester functional group (-COO-) while releasing water as a byproduct.

The process is significant in organic chemistry as esters are widely used in various applications ranging from solvents and flavorings to plastics and pharmaceuticals. The general reaction can be represented as:

[ \text{Alcohol} + \text{Carboxylic Acid} \rightarrow \text{Ester} + \text{Water} ]

Understanding this reaction is essential, as it lays the foundation for more complex organic reactions and the properties of esters themselves, which often have distinctive odors and flavors.

The other choices describe different chemical processes unrelated to esterification, making them incorrect in this context.