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Overall equation for the electrophilic addition reaction with H₂SO₄ (structural formulas)

User Iksnae
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Final answer:

The overall equation for the electrophilic addition reaction with H₂SO₄ involves adding H₂SO₄ to an alkene, resulting in the formation of an alkyl hydrogen sulfate. For ethene, the reaction would be C₂H₄ + H₂SO₄ → C₂H₅HSO₄.

Step-by-step explanation:

The overall equation for the electrophilic addition reaction with H₂SO₄ involves the addition of a sulfuric acid molecule to a double bond in an alkene. The reaction typically follows a two-step mechanism:

  1. The pi electrons in the double bond attack the hydrogen atom in H₂SO₄, leading to the formation of a carbocation and hydrogen sulfate ion (HSO₄⁻).
  2. The hydrogen sulfate ion acts as a nucleophile and attacks the carbocation, resulting in the addition of HSO₄ across the double bond.

If we consider ethene (C₂H₄) reacting with sulfuric acid, the overall balanced equation would be:

C₂H₄ + H₂SO₄ → C₂H₅HSO₄

This represents the formation of ethyl hydrogen sulfate. It's important to note that the exact structural formula would depend on the structure of the alkene starting material and the specific conditions of the reaction.

User Dharan
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