[oliviab_19]

For my laboratory, we dehydrated cyclohexanol with phosphoric acid using distillation. We dried our product with anhydrous CaCl2. For our post lab, we were asked the question "How could you change the reaction conditions to favor the reverse reaction, hydration of the product?" The product was cyclohexene.

After doing some reading, the only answer I could come up with to favor a hydration reaction would be to add water and a catalytic amount of strong acid. I just feel like this is not the correct answer, should I be changing the temperature at which the reaction occurs? Or is "water & strong acid" the only answer I need?

[hollytara]

Your answer is correct - water and catalytic strong acid.  High temperature will tend toward the elimination, but there may be some activation energy, so a moderate temperature is best.