Give a mechanism for the acid-catalysed dehydration of ethyl alcohol to form diethyl ether.

Explanation

To understand the acid-catalyzed dehydration of ethyl alcohol (ethanol) to form diethyl ether, we can break down the mechanism into several key steps:

### Step-by-Step Mechanism:

1. **Protonation of Ethyl Alcohol:**
- Ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) reacts with an acid (H+) to form an oxonium ion. The oxygen atom in the alcohol donates a lone pair of electrons to the proton (H+), resulting in the protonation of the hydroxyl group.
- **Equation:** C2H5OH + H+ → C2H5OH2+

...