Question

The order of stability of the following carbocations

• A. $III > II > I$
• B. $II > III > I$
• C. $I > II > III$
• D. $III > I > II$

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

$III > I > II$

Answer 2

The stability of carbocation is directly proportional to the extent of delocalization. Therefore in the given figure, the order of stability of carbocations will be III > I > II.

Carbocations are ions with a positively charged carbon atom and three bonds. Resonance and hyperconjugation stabilize carbocations, influencing their stability. To compare the stability of given carbocations, we analyze the number of resonating and conjugating structures in each.

1. Structure I has 2 resonating structures.
2. Structure II has 2 conjugating structures due to hyperconjugation.
3. Structure III has 5 resonating structures.

Based on the number of resonating or conjugating structures, we determine the stability order: III > I > II.

_Discover More from Chapter: _Carbocation Stability