How do polar solvents help in the first step in `S_(N)1` mechanism?

Explanation

To understand how polar solvents help in the first step of the \( S_N1 \) mechanism, we can break down the process step by step:

### Step 1: Identify the First Step of \( S_N1 \) Mechanism
The first step in the \( S_N1 \) mechanism is the formation of a carbocation. This occurs when the leaving group departs from the substrate. For example, consider a tertiary haloalkane like \( (CH_3)_3CBr \).

### Step 2: Leaving Group Departure
In the presence of a polar solvent (e.g., water), the bromide ion (\( Br^- \)) acts as a leaving group. When the \( Br^- \) leaves, it takes away its bonding electrons, resulting in the formation of a carbocation. The structure can be represented as:

...