Which carbocation is the most stable?

A $CH X_{3} X^{+}$
B $(CH X_{3}) X_{3} C X^{+}$
C $CH X_{3} CH X_{2} X^{+}$
D $(CH X_{3}) X_{2} CH X^{+}$

Answer: B

Stability increases with the number of alkyl groups, through hyperconjugation and the inductive effect. The order is tertiary > secondary > primary > methyl, so

(CH X_{3}) X_{3} C X^{+}

is the most stable.

Practice Organic Reaction Mechanisms II: Electrophilic and Radical Reactions More on Carbocation rearrangements in addition

Previous questionNext question

Which carbocation is the most stable?

Answer: B

More questions on Carbocation rearrangements in addition