I think what the solutions manual is trying to show, but doesn't,
is that the hydrogen cleaves off. If you follow the solutions manual
problem 25a, in the final step, just before the molecule becomes Methyl
cellosolve, the oxygen with three attached groups has a positive charge.
To rid the oxygen of its positive charge it releases the hydrogen and
creates the product as well as a proton (H+). The H+ probably joins the
rest of the other H+ in the reaction.
You are right, however, the book should have shown a -H+ on top of the
arrow in the last step in order to clarify the step.
AL (leglerba)
On Tue, 3 Dec 1996 changky@plu.edu wrote:
> Hello everyone! I've got a question here... For problem 10.25 (a),
> the solutions manual shows that the answer is HOCH2CH2OCH3. But I thought
> it should be HOCH2CH2OHCH3 because there's a hydrogen attaches to the
> oxygen. Well, I just want to know where did that hydrogen go? Could
> someone please explain?
>
> changky
>
>
>
>