Final answer:
Chemical impurities that might be present in the synthesized ethyl salicylate reaction mixture before extraction include unreacted reactants such as salicylic acid and ethanol, and by-products like acetic acid and ethyl acetate.
Step-by-step explanation:
When synthesizing ethyl salicylate, chemical impurities that might be found in the reaction mixture before extraction could include unreacted starting materials such as salicylic acid and ethanol, as well as by-products resulting from partial reactions or side reactions, like acetic acid and ethyl acetate. Salicylic acid is one of the reactants and its presence in the product mixture would suggest incomplete conversion to ethyl salicylate. Similarly, ethanol is also a reactant which might not have completely reacted. Acetic acid could appear due to the esterification reaction not going to completion or hydrolysis of the product. Ethyl acetate may be formed as a by-product in a competing esterification reaction involving ethanol and acetic acid. All these impurities need to be removed to ensure that the synthesized ester, ethyl salicylate, has the desired purity for its applications in fragrances and flavorings.