What is the effect of the -M (mesomeric) effect on the stability of a carbocatio
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the effect of the -M (mesomeric) effect on the stability of a carbocation?
Destabilizes the carbocation
Stabilizes the carbocation
No effect on stability
Increases acidity
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the effect of the -M (mesomeric) effect on the stability of a carbocation?
Step 1: Understand what a carbocation is. A carbocation is a molecule that has a positively charged carbon atom.
Step 2: Learn about the -M (mesomeric) effect. The -M effect refers to the ability of certain groups (like -OH or -NH2) to donate electron density through resonance.
Step 3: Know that when a group with a -M effect is near a carbocation, it can help spread out (delocalize) the positive charge.
Step 4: Realize that by delocalizing the positive charge, the overall energy of the carbocation is lowered, making it more stable.
Step 5: Conclude that the -M effect stabilizes a carbocation by allowing the positive charge to be shared with other atoms in the molecule.
