One litre of 2 M acetic acid and one litre of 3 M ethyl alcohol are mixed to form ester according to the given equation
`CH_(3)COOH+C_(2)H_(5)OHrarrCH_(3)COOC_(2)H_(5)+H_(2)O`
If each solution is diluted by adding equal volume (1 litre) of water, by how many times the initial forward rate is reduced?
A. 4 times
B. 2 times
C. `0.5` times
D. `0.25` times