Ethers behave as weakly______substances due to the presence of two lone pairs of electrons on the oxygen atom.

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Text Solution:**

1. **Understanding Ethers**: Ethers are organic compounds that contain an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. The general formula for ethers can be represented as R-O-R', where R and R' are hydrocarbon chains.

2. **Lone Pairs on Oxygen**: The oxygen atom in ethers has two lone pairs of electrons. These lone pairs play a crucial role in determining the chemical properties of ethers.

3. **Basicity of Ethers**: Due to the presence of these two lone pairs, ethers can act as weak bases. This is because the lone pairs can accept protons (H⁺ ions) from acids, which is a characteristic behavior of basic substances.

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