In: Chemistry
I need to know the reaction that you are studying. I will answer the second part of the question.
E1 is an elimination reaction pathway whereas SN1 is a substitution reaction pathway. Both the reactions proceed via a carbocation intermediate. However, in E1, a C-H and a C-X bonds are broken while a C=C bond is formed. In SN1, a C-L bond (L = leaving group) breaks and a new C-Nu (Nu = nucleophile) bond forms. Both the reactions use tertiary alkyl halides as the substrate. Both the reactions are unimolecular (since the reaction depends only on the concentration of the starting material) and proceed via carbocation intermediate. E1 reaction usually gives products (alkyl halides or alcohols) in accordance with Satyzeff rule while SN1 reactions give products with racemization.
E1 eliminations usually employ strong alcoholic bases (OH-, OR-) as the base while SN1 reactions proceed with weak (mostly uncharged) nucelophiles like H-OH, H-OR, etc.