What is one result of replacing a halogen in a haloalkane during hydrolysis?

The hydrolysis of a haloalkane involves the substitution of a halogen atom (such as chlorine, bromine, or iodine) with a hydroxyl group (OH). This process typically occurs in the presence of water or an aqueous solution, where the nucleophile is the water molecule. As water attacks the carbon atom bonded to the halogen, the halogen is displaced, resulting in the formation of an alcohol.

The mechanism highlights that the carbon atom originally bonded to the halogen becomes attached to the hydroxyl group, transforming it from a haloalkane (where carbon is bonded to a halogen) to an alcohol (where carbon is bonded to an -OH group). Thus, the correct consequence of this substitution during hydrolysis is the formation of an alcohol.

The other options, such as the formation of a ketone, aldehyde, or carboxylic acid, do not directly occur as a result of halogen replacement in this context. Ketones and aldehydes typically arise from oxidation processes, whereas carboxylic acids are formed from different functional group transformations, not through the direct hydrolysis of haloalkanes. Hence, the primary product of replacing a halogen in a haloalkane during hydrolysis is