Final answer:
The dehydration of 2-methyl-2-butanol normally follows an E1 mechanism rather than an E2 mechanism. The most stable alkene is typically formed following Saytzeff's rule, which would make the statements about compound 6 being the most stable alkene conditionally true if it is indeed the most substituted product.
Step-by-step explanation:
When examining the acid-catalyzed dehydration of 2-methyl-2-butanol, the following statements can be assessed:
- (a) Without seeing compound 5 and compound 6, it's not possible to verify if the curved arrows correctly represent the transformation.
- (b) The dehydration of a tertiary alcohol typically goes through an E1 mechanism, given that the carbocation formed in the intermediate step is stabilized by the tertiary carbon's environment.
- (c) Usually, in acid-catalyzed dehydration, the most stable alkene involves the formation of the alkene with the greatest number of alkyl substituents (Saytzeff's rule).
- (d) This could be true if compound 6 adheres to Saytzeff's rule and is indeed the most substituted, stable alkene possible from the dehydration reaction.
- (e) The dehydration often proceeds via an E1 mechanism for tertiary alcohols, which involves the formation of a carbocation intermediate.
Therefore, without the visual aid of compound 5 and compound 6, statements b and e would be correct if we assume the standard behavior of tertiary alcohol undergoing dehydration.