Identify the major product in the following reaction. 

CONCEPT:

Elimination Reaction (E2 Mechanism)

• In elimination reactions, a β-hydrogen is removed along with a leaving group (such as Br) to form a double bond, resulting in the formation of an alkene.
• The reaction proceeds via an E2 mechanism, which is a single-step process where the base abstracts a proton while the leaving group departs, leading to the formation of the alkene.
• According to Zaitsev's rule, the most substituted alkene (the one with the greatest number of alkyl groups attached to the double bond) is the major product.

EXPLANATION:

• In the given reaction, the elimination of HBr occurs in the presence of a strong base (ethoxide ion) in ethanol, leading to the formation of the most stable alkene.
• The base abstracts a proton from the β-carbon, resulting in the formation of a double bond between the α and β carbons, following Zaitsev's rule.
• The major product is the more substituted alkene, which is 1-methylcyclopentene, corresponding to option (3).

The correct answer is option (3).