Which of the following distinct chemical factors significantly and fundamentally increase the overal — Haloalkanes and Haloarenes Chemistry Question
Question
Which of the following distinct chemical factors significantly and fundamentally increase the overall rate of an $S_N1$ nucleophilic substitution reaction?
💡 Solution & Explanation
A) True. Polar protic solvents stabilize the transition state leading to the carbocation by solvating the developing charges. B) True. The stability of the carbocation explicitly dictates the activation energy; $3^\circ$ and resonance-stabilized cations form much faster. C) False. The $S_N1$ rate law is strictly unimolecular ($Rate = k[Substrate]$). The nucleophile concentration is completely irrelevant to the reaction rate. D) True. A better leaving group drastically lowers the activation energy for the rate-determining $C-X$ bond cleavage step.