Identify the major product of the given E ₂ reaction:

Step-by-step solution

The given substrate is 1-chloro-1-methylcyclopentane, which is a tertiary alkyl halide. The reagent, sodium ethoxide ( Na ^+ OCH ₂ CH ₃^- ), is a strong and unhindered base. The reaction of a tertiary alkyl halide with a strong base proceeds predominantly via the E ₂ elimination mechanism. An E ₂ elimination requires an anti-periplanar geometry between the leaving group ( Cl ) and the -hydrogen being removed. In the given reactant, the chlorine atom is positioned on a wedge. The adjacent ring carbons (C2 and C5) ea