MHT CET Chemistry Question (2026) — Solution

Step-by-step solution

The dehydration of alcohols to form ethers is an acid-catalyzed reaction that proceeds via an S_N2 mechanism. Step 1: Protonation of the alcohol to form an oxonium ion. R-OH + H^+ R-OH_2^+ Step 2: Nucleophilic attack of an unprotonated alcohol molecule on the protonated alcohol. This is a bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (S_N2) reaction where water acts as the leaving group. R-OH + R-OH_2^+ R-O^+(H)-R + H_2O Step 3: Loss of a proton to yield the ether. R-O^+(H)-R R-O-R + H^+ Since the rate-determining step involves two molecules (the alcohol acting as a nucleophile and the protonated alcohol acting as the substrate), the mechanism is a nucleophilic substitution bimolecular reaction.