Stability of Cations & Markovnikov's Rule

Question 1

Carbocations are positively

Answer 1

charged carbon atoms with only three covalent bonds instead of four

Question 2

There are three types of carbocations:

Answer 2

primary secondary tertiary

Question 3

The alkyl groups attached to the positively charged carbon atoms are

Answer 3

electron donating groups’

Question 4

The alkyl groups push electrons away from ……………. to

Answer 4

The alkyl groups push electrons away from themselves towards the positively charged carbon

Question 5

The alkyl groups push electrons away from themselves towards the positively charged carbon
This causes the carbocation to become

Answer 5

less positively charged

As a result of this, the charge is spread around the carbocation which makes it energetically more stable

Question 6

This means that tertiary carbocations are the most stable as they have three

Answer 6

three electron-donating alkyl groups which energetically stabilise the carbocation

Question 7

Due to the positive charge on the carbon atom, carbocations are electron-loving species

Answer 7

electrophiles

Question 8

Alkyl groups push electron density towards the ………….. making it

Answer 8

Alkyl groups push electron density towards the carbocation making it energetically more stable; the more alkyl groups the carbocation is bonded to, the more stabilised it is