Question

Complete the equation & identify the type of reaction involved: ${\left( {C{H_3}} \right)_2}CH - Br + aq.KOH?$

Answer 1

Alkyl halides are the compounds consisting of alkyl groups and a halogen atom like bromide or chloride ion. These alkyl halides undergo nucleophilic substitution to form alcohols. This type of reaction is classified as a nucleophilic substitution reaction.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Hydrocarbons are the chemical compounds that consist of only carbon and hydrogen atoms. When one of the hydrogens was replaced by a halogen atom, then those compounds were known as alkyl halides. It means alkyl halides consist of an alkyl group and a halogen atom.
The halogen atoms are mostly chlorine, bromine, and iodine. As fluorine is not readily involved in alkyl group formation.
Given compound is an alkyl halide with molecular formula of ${\left( {C{H_3}} \right)_2}CH - Br$ and the name of the compound is $2 - bromopropane$ which has one bromine atom at the ${2^{nd}}$ carbon in propanol.
This $2 - bromopropane$ undergoes nucleophilic substitution to form a compound named as $2 - propanol$ with the structure of ${\left( {C{H_3}} \right)_2}CH - OH$
Nucleophilic substitution is the reaction in which one nucleophile like bromine in $2 - bromopropane$ was replaced by hydroxyl group to form $2 - propanol$
The reagent added was aqueous potassium hydroxide, which is a base that releases a hydroxide ion.
The reaction involved is: $Br + aq.KOH \to {\left( {C{H_3}} \right)_2}CH - OH + KBr$
Thus, the reaction involved is nucleophilic substitution.

Note:
Generally, nucleophilic substitution occurs in two mechanisms known as unimolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction $\left( {S{N_1}} \right)$ and bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction $\left( {S{N_2}} \right)$ . As the given alkyl halide is a secondary alkyl halide it favours bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction $\left( {S{N_2}} \right)$ .