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JEE Advanced levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 3 of 3g3160

Which of the following changes would make the radical chlorination of an alkane LESS selective (product distribution closer to the statistical one)?

  1. ALowering the reaction temperature
  2. BRaising the reaction temperature
  3. CReplacing by
  4. DUsing a substrate with only tertiary hydrogens

Answer: B

Selectivity arises from small differences in activation energy, . The exponent shrinks as T rises, so the ratio approaches 1 and the product ratio approaches the statistical one. Lower T and both raise selectivity, and a substrate with only one kind of H has nothing to be selective about.
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