In organic chemistry reactions, carbocations are sometimes formed during a reaction. A carbocation is a carbon that is positively charged. A simple example is CH3+, but other more complicated molecules can also have carbocations in their structures (such as CH3CH2+).

Which of the following can be said of a carbocation like CH3+?

A. CH3 + can act as a Lewis acid only

B. CH3 + can act as a Lewis acid and Bronsted-Lowry acid

C. CH3 + can act as a Lewis base only

D. CH3 + can act as a Lewis base and a Bronsted-Lowry base

E. CH3 + cannot act as either an acid or base

Question

Jordon Cordova

Chemistry

23 December, 16:08

In organic chemistry reactions, carbocations are sometimes formed during a reaction. A carbocation is a carbon that is positively charged. A simple example is CH3+, but other more complicated molecules can also have carbocations in their structures (such as CH3CH2+).

Which of the following can be said of a carbocation like CH3+?

A. CH3 + can act as a Lewis acid only

B. CH3 + can act as a Lewis acid and Bronsted-Lowry acid

C. CH3 + can act as a Lewis base only

D. CH3 + can act as a Lewis base and a Bronsted-Lowry base

E. CH3 + cannot act as either an acid or base

+3

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Kiley Boone · Answer 1

The correct answer is option A. "CH3 + can act as a Lewis acid only".

Explanation:

In chemistry, a Lewis acid is defined as a substance that can accept a a pair of nonbonding electrons, participating in a reaction as an electron-pair acceptor. A carbocation that is positively charged as CH3 + does not have all their octet full of electrons. Therefore, CH3 + could act as an electron-pair acceptor and it acts a a Lewis acid only.