The reaction between ethyl chloride and dry silver oxide on heating yields:
Correct answer: B. diethyl ether
- A. dimethyl ether.
- B. diethyl ether
- C. ethanoic acid.
- D. ethanal.
Explanation
Heating ethyl chloride with dry silver oxide substitutes the halogen and joins two ethyl groups through oxygen, giving diethyl ether, C2H5OC2H5. Dimethyl ether would need methyl halide, and with moist silver oxide the product would be ethanol rather than an ether.
This question appeared on the UHS MDCAT 2026 paper, which you can sit online with every answer explained.
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About Nucleophilic Substitution
Nucleophilic substitution replaces a leaving group in an alkyl halide when an electron-rich nucleophile attacks the carbon atom. The topic compares SN1 and SN2 mechanisms, including reaction conditions, substrate structure, solvent effects, nucleophile strength, carbocation formation and stereochemical changes, and distinguishes substitution from elimination.
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