JEE Main levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 2 of 3o4154
Raising the temperature of a reaction of a secondary alkyl halide with a base increases the proportion of elimination relative to substitution mainly because
Aelimination has the higher activation energy and gives more product molecules, so it gains more from a rise in temperature
Bsubstitution has the higher activation energy
Cthe halide becomes a better nucleophile at high temperature
Dthe base becomes weaker at high temperature
Answer: A
Elimination breaks an extra C-H bond (higher activation energy) and produces an extra molecule (HB), so its entropy change is more positive. Both effects make the elimination rate rise faster with temperature than substitution.