Can you think of the reason why it
happens Actually the carbocation formed in the slow step being sp
2
hybridised is planar (achiral) The attack of the nucleophile may be
accomplished from either side of the plane of carbocation resulting in
a mixture of products, one having the same configuration (the –OH
attaching on the same position as halide ion) and the other having
opposite configuration (the –OH attaching on the side opposite to halide
ion) This may be illustrated by hydrolysis of optically active
2-bromobutane, which results in the formation of (±)-butan-2-ol