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JEE Advanced levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 3 of 3o1211

Assertion (A): Alkaline hydrolysis of ethyl acetate with excess NaOH is essentially irreversible. Reason (R): Hydroxide is a stronger nucleophile than water.

  1. ABoth A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
  2. BBoth A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
  3. CA is true but R is false
  4. DA is false but R is true

Answer: B

A is true: the carboxylic acid formed is deprotonated by base to the resonance-stabilised carboxylate, which is not attacked by ethanol, so the reaction goes to completion. R is true (hydroxide is more nucleophilic than water) but this explains the rate, not the irreversibility. Hence option B.
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