At reflux temperatures and in the presence of an acid catalyst, both the forward and reverse esterification reactions are rapid, and the system reaches equilibrium rather quickly. In order to obtain a high yield of ester, however, the equilibrium must be shifted toward the products (Le Chatelier’s Principle). One technique for accomplishing this is to use a large excess of one of the reactants (usually the alcohol). Another method is to remove one (or more) of the products as they are formed. This can be accomplished by physical (e.g., azeotropic distillation of water) or chemical means. The position of equilibrium is determined by the equilibrium constant (K), as defined by the following mass-action expression: