Acid catalyzed dehydration of alcohols involves the removal of water molecule from an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst. This reaction proceeds through a carbocation intermediate, which is formed by protonation of the hydroxyl group of the alcohol.

Explanation:
• Acid catalyzed dehydration of alcohols involves the removal of water molecule from an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst.
• The reaction proceeds through a carbocation intermediate, which is formed by protonation of the hydroxyl group of the alcohol.
• The carbocation intermediate is stabilized by resonance, which helps to lower the energy of the intermediate species.
• After the carbocation is formed, a neighboring hydrogen is removed by a base (often water in the reaction mixture) to form an alkene.
• The mechanism of the reaction involves a series of proton transfer steps and bond breaking and forming steps, which ultimately lead to the formation of an alkene.
• The acid catalyst (such as sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid) helps to increase the acidity of the reaction mixture, which in turn facilitates the formation of the carbocation intermediate.
• The formation of the carbocation intermediate is the rate-determining step of the reaction, as it is the slowest step in the mechanism.
• Once the carbocation is formed, the reaction proceeds rapidly to form the alkene product.

Conclusion:
Thus, in the acid-catalyzed dehydration of alcohols to alkenes, the intermediate species formed is a carbocation.