The reaction between 2-butanol and acetic acid is an esterification reaction, which is a chemical reaction between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid to form an ester. The reaction between 2-butanol and acetic acid specifically is as follows:

CH3(CH2)3OH (2-butanol) + CH3COOH (acetic acid) → CH3COOCH2(CH2)3CH3 (butyl acetate) + H2O (water)

In this reaction, the hydroxyl group (-OH) from 2-butanol reacts with the carboxylic acid group (-COOH) from acetic acid to form an ester bond (-COO-), resulting in the formation of butyl acetate and water as a byproduct. This reaction is typically catalyzed by an acid, such as sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid.