Bases and Nucleophiles

Hi Alex,

I am still confused on the difference between a strong base and a strong nucleophile. . . 

A strong base = a strong nucleophile

We added in class "if it's not acting as a base" and I'm not sure what this means exactly.  

Thanks,

Confused person....
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We added in this qualifier because it helps us distinguish between Sn2 and E2 reactions.  In an Sn2 reaction, we'll be using a nucleophile; in E2, we'll be using a base.  A strong nucleophile is a strong base... but we'll only see nucleophiles in Sn2 reactions.  So if the species is acting as a base, it's actually E2.

Hope this helps!