What happens when ethyl chloride is treated with aqueous KOH?

When ethyl chloride (CH3CH2Cl) is treated with aqueous potassium hydroxide (KOH), it undergoes a nucleophilic substitution reaction known as the Williamson ether synthesis. In this reaction, the alkyl halide (ethyl chloride) reacts with the hydroxide ion (OH-) from the KOH to form an alcohol, and the chloride ion (Cl-) is displaced. Here's the balanced chemical equation for this reaction:

CH3CH2Cl + KOH → CH3CH2OH + KCl

In this reaction:

The hydroxide ion (OH-) attacks the carbon atom bonded to the chlorine atom in ethyl chloride, leading to the displacement of the chloride ion (Cl-).
The carbon-oxygen (C-O) bond is formed, resulting in the production of ethanol (CH3CH2OH), which is the alcohol.
Potassium chloride (KCl) is formed as a byproduct and remains dissolved in the aqueous solution.
The overall result of this reaction is the conversion of ethyl chloride into ethanol. This is a common method for synthesizing alcohols from alkyl halides in the laboratory.