Why does t-butyl chloride undergoe solvolysis in 70% water/30% acetone at a rate slower than in 80% water/20% acetone?
The more polar solvent is better at stabilizing the developing carbocation.
The solvolysis of t-butyl chloride is an
A polar solvent solvates and helps to stabilize the developing carbocation. This lowers the energy of the transition state and speeds up the reaction.
The greater the percentage of water in this solvent mixture, the more polar the solvent. The more polar the solvent, the better it is at solvating the developing carbocation and lowering the activation energy.
An 80:20 water/acetone mixture is more polar than a 70:30 mixture, so the solvolysis is faster in the more water-rich solvent.
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Tertiary butyl chloride (t-butyl chloride) undergoes solvolysis slower in a 70% water/30% acetone solvent mixture compared to an 80% water/20% acetone mixture due to the polarity of the solvent. The 70% water/30% acetone mixture is less polar than the 80% water/20% acetone mixture, which affects the rate of solvolysis. Since t-butyl chloride is less soluble in the less polar solvent mixture, the nucleophilic attack by water molecules, necessary for the solvolysis reaction, occurs less frequently, leading to a slower rate of reaction.
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When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.
When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.
When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.
When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

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