The reaction of 2-chloropropane with sodium hydroxide can occur via both sn1 and sn2 mechanisms.

a) draw arrow pushing schematics for each sn1 and sn2 mechanism for this reaction.

b) identify the rate determining step for each of the mechanisms you drew in q2.

how exactly do i do this?

Explanation:

(a) Part 1: reaction. This is a nucleophilic substitution reaction in which we have two steps. Firstly, chlorine, a good leaving group, leaves the carbon skeleton to form a relatively stable secondary carbocation. This carbocation is then attacked by the hydroxide anion, our nucleophile, to form the final product.

To summarize, this mechanism takes places in two separate steps. The mechanism is attached below.

Part 2: reaction. This is a nucleophilic substitution reaction in which we have one step. Our nucleophile, hydroxide, attacks the carbon and then chlorine leaves simultaneously without an intermediate carbocation being formed.

The mechanism is attached as well.

(b) The rate determining step is the slow step. Formation of the carbocation has the greatest activation energy, so this is our rate determining step for . For , we only have one step, so the rate determining step is the attack of the nucleophile and the loss of the leaving group.

vanderwaal's forces of attraction are the electrostatic intermolecular forces that exist in a molecule due to the temporary or permanent dipoles that are developed in a molecule. in , the major intermolecular forces are dipole-dipole interactions as the molecule is polar (bent structure). so the vanderwaal's forces of interaction in between molecules are the permanent dipole-dipole interactions that develop due to the dipole that exists in between the polar h - s bond. the positively charged hydrogen atom is attracted towards the negative end of the dipole that is sulfur of the adjacent molecule. therefore, these forces of attraction are relatively stronger than that of london dispersion forces that exist in non polar molecules.

explanation: no but i do not usually comment