Question

GIVE REASON WHY REACTIION OF AN ALKYL HALIDE WITH Aq.koh GIVES ALCOHOL BUT WITH ALCOHOLIC KOH IT PRODUCES AN ALKENE.

Answer 1

Alkyl halide with substitution reaction produces alcohol and with elimination reaction produces alkenes. Medium which facilitate these specific type of reaction will produce product accordingly.

KOH in Water gives OH^- ions which are strong nucleophile and facilitate the substitution reaction while KOH in ethyl alcohol produces C2H5-O^- ions which due to larger size observe hindrance when attack on alpha carbon so as a strong base it removes hydrogen from beta carbon and is responsible for elimination reaction.