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Chemistry

How Carbocations Are Stabilized by Hyperconjugation and Inductive Effects

Quick fact

A tertiary carbocation is about 10^7 times more stable than a methyl carbocation, a difference that can be traced to hyperconjugation and inductive effects alone — no resonance required.

Why this is interesting

We've all learned that carbocations are unstable and hard to make. But if that's true, why do some carbocations form far more easily than others, and what can we do to make them stick around?