Draw a mechanism for this reaction. In the reaction scheme, an acyl chloride reacts with an acid to give an acid anhydride. The acyl chloride contains a central C atom that has a double bond to O, a single bond to Cl, and a single bond to a benzene ring. The acid is CH3COH with an O atom double-bonded to the second (from left to right) carbon. The produced anhydride is COCCH3 with a benzene ring attached to the first (from left to right) carbon and an O atom double-bonded to the firth and the second carbons.

See explanation and image attached

Explanation:

The reaction shown here is the reaction between an acyl chloride and a carboxylic acid. This reaction produces an acid anhydride.

The first step in the reaction is the nucleophillic attack of the acid on the acyl carbon of the acyl chloride. This is followed by loss of HCl to yield the acid anhydride as shown in the image attached.

The product formed is PhCOOCOCH3.

the positions which points up in upward carbon and down in downward carbon are axial

and vice versa holds true for equatorial positions

so the correct answer with labelled diagram will be

the answer is b. dilution