Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Electrophilic Addition Reactions
Electrophilic addition reactions involve the addition of an electrophile to a nucleophile, typically seen in alkenes and alkynes. In this case, cyclohexene, an alkene, reacts with HCl, where the double bond acts as a nucleophile, attacking the electrophilic hydrogen in HCl. This reaction leads to the formation of a carbocation intermediate, which is crucial for determining the major product.
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Carbocation Stability
Carbocation stability is a key factor in determining the outcome of electrophilic addition reactions. More stable carbocations, such as tertiary carbocations, are favored over less stable ones. In the reaction of cyclohexene with HCl, the formation of a more stable secondary carbocation will influence the major product formed, as the reaction pathway will favor the route leading to the most stable intermediate.
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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 rule helps predict the major product of the reaction between cyclohexene and HCl, where the hydrogen from HCl will add to the less substituted carbon, leading to the formation of a more stable product through the carbocation mechanism.
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