Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Dehydration Reaction
A dehydration reaction involves the removal of a water molecule from an alcohol to form an alkene. This process typically requires an acid catalyst, such as sulfuric acid, which protonates the alcohol, making it a better leaving group. The resulting carbocation can then undergo elimination to form a double bond, leading to the formation of alkenes as major products.
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Carbocation Stability
The stability of carbocations is crucial in determining the major products of dehydration reactions. Tertiary carbocations are more stable than secondary, which are more stable than primary. The formation of the most stable carbocation intermediate during the reaction pathway will favor the formation of the corresponding alkene, influencing the product distribution.
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Markovnikov's Rule
Markovnikov's Rule states that in the addition of HX to an alkene, the hydrogen atom will attach to the carbon with the greater number of hydrogen atoms already attached. This principle also applies to dehydration reactions, where the more substituted alkene is typically the major product due to the stability of the carbocation formed during the reaction.
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