An elimination reaction occurs when there is a release of atoms in a given compound to produce two or more products. In the reaction given a hydrogen and chloride atom are eliminated from the original compound to form hydrochloric acid and ethylene.

E1 reactions occur in two steps. First, the leaving group is removed, yielding a carbocation. Second, a weak base removes a proton from the carbon adjacent to the carbocation carbon. Thus, to favor E1, a protic solvent is desired in order to stabilize the carbocation. Weak bases favor an E1 mechanism.

This is an acid-catalyzed dehydration of a tertiary alcohol. The first step is protonation of the alcohol oxygen which will create a good leaving group (), and subsequent loss of water from the molecule. The molecule will then contain a carbocation (which will not move due to the positive being on the most substituted carbon atom in its immediate vicinity), and the conjugate base (water in this case) will remove a hydrogen from a carbon next to the carbocation. The base will preferentially remove a hydrogen from the one that will produce the more substituted alkene, as this is generally the more stable product. This is known as Zaitsev's rule for the formation of alkenes.

Treatment with strong base indicates E2 mechanism. The halide has two beta-carbons (II and III), and potassium tert-butoxide is a bulky base. The favored product is the Hofmann product (less substituted alkene). Therefore III is the hydrogen that's removed.

E2 reaction occur in only one step. The strong base removes the beta-hydrogen, while the leaving group simultaneously leaves. The double bond forms simultaneously.

These conditions are perfect for an reaction. We see a secondary halide so first instinct might be to say that an reaction would ensue. However, anytime we have a secondary halide reacting with a strong, bulky base, the laws of sterics dictates that an reaction will ensue.

The given conditions are perfect for an reaction. Here we have a primary haloalkane reacting with a big, bulky base. Big, bulky bases such as , and alkene products are classic indicators that the reaction was an reaction.

An elimination reaction occurs when there is a release of atoms in a given compound to produce two or more products. In the reaction given a hydrogen and chloride atom are eliminated from the original compound to form one 2-butene, potassium chloride and water molecule.

Heterolytic bond breaking occurs in polar compounds to form to products of opposite charges. In these types of reaction two electrons from the original bond stays with one fragment upon cleavage. In the reaction given, the bond between the hydrogen and chlorine atom is broken with the two electrons from the original bond staying with the chlorine atom. The resulting products are hydrogen ion and chloride ion.

Elimination reactions involve the use of bases, which remove hydrogen atoms. The leaving group, which is bound via a sigma bond is removed, along with a hydrogen (thus two sigma bonds are broken). The result is a double bond, which consists of one sigma bond and one pi bond.