Question

What happens when CH₃-Br reacts with a strong small base?

1) Formation of CH₃OH
2) Formation of CH₃OCH₃
3) Formation of CH₃EtO
4) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

When CH3Br reacts with a strong base like OH-, it undergoes an E2 elimination, resulting in the formation of ethylene (CH2=CH2), which is not listed among the provided reaction products.

The correct answer is 4).

Step-by-step explanation:

When CH3Br reacts with a strong small base like OH-, the typical reaction is an E2 elimination reaction. The base (OH-) will abstract a proton (H+) from the methyl group (CH3), and at the same time, the electrons from the C-H bond will move to form a double bond, ejecting the bromide ion (Br-) as a leaving group. This leads to the formation of ethylene (CH2=CH2). Therefore, the correct answer to what happens is none of the provided options (1-4). The reaction does not lead to the formation of methanol (CH3OH), dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3), or any other compound listed.