Identify the major product of dehydrohalogenation of CH ₃ -CH ₂ -CH(Br)-CH ₃ .

Step-by-step solution

Dehydrohalogenation of 2-bromobutane ( CH ₃ -CH ₂ -CH(Br)-CH ₃ ) involves the removal of a hydrogen atom from a -carbon and the bromine atom from the -carbon. There are two -carbons in 2-bromobutane, leading to two possible alkene products: 1. Removal of hydrogen from C1 yields 1-butene ( CH ₃ -CH ₂ -CH=CH ₂ ). 2. Removal of hydrogen from C3 yields 2-butene ( CH ₃ -CH=CH-CH ₃ ). According to Zaitsev's rule, the major product in a dehydrohalogenation reaction is the more substituted alkene, as it is thermodynamicall