Predict the major, organic product for the following reaction.

• A.
• B.
• C.
• D.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the starting material and reagents: The starting material is phenol (C6H5OH), and the reagents are NaOH and ethyl chloride (CH3CH2Cl).
2. Understand the role of NaOH: NaOH is a strong base that will deprotonate the phenol, forming the phenoxide ion (C6H5O-). This ion is a good nucleophile.
3. Consider the reaction with ethyl chloride: The phenoxide ion will attack the ethyl chloride in a nucleophilic substitution reaction, specifically an SN2 mechanism, where the chloride ion (Cl-) is the leaving group.
4. Predict the product of the reaction: The nucleophilic attack by the phenoxide ion on the ethyl chloride will result in the formation of ethyl phenyl ether (C6H5OCH2CH3).
5. Verify the reaction type and conditions: This is a Williamson ether synthesis, which typically involves an alkoxide ion reacting with a primary alkyl halide under basic conditions to form an ether.