Alkaline Hydrolysis of Esters Steps:

• Recognize alkaline hydrolysis (saponification) involves OH⁻ attacking the ester's carbonyl carbon.
• OH⁻ addition forms a tetrahedral intermediate.
• The intermediate collapses, expelling R'O⁻ and forming RCO₂⁻ after deprotonation.
• R'O⁻ abstracts H⁺ from water, yielding R'OH as the neutral alcohol product.

Why A is correct:

• The reaction RCO₂R' + OH⁻ → RCO₂⁻ + R'OH follows the mechanism where base deprotonates the initial carboxylic acid, producing the carboxylate ion and alcohol.

Why the others are wrong:

• B: RCO₂H forms in acidic hydrolysis, not alkaline, where base prevents protonation.
• C: R'O⁻ is transient and protonates to R'OH; two anions do not represent final neutral-basic products.
• D: RCO₂H and R'O⁻ mix acidic and basic outcomes, incorrect for alkaline conditions.

Final answer: A