Reactive Intermediates: Carbocations, Carbanions and Radicals

Is that carbon a carbocation, a carbanion or a radical, and where does the curved arrow start? This lesson builds the habit of reading electron counts before reaching for a memorised rule. You will learn: why a carbocation has six valence electrons and an empty p orbital how a carbanion's lone pair makes it electron-rich how homolytic bond cleavage gives a radical with one unpaired electron the usual shapes: planar carbocation, often pyramidal carbanion electrophiles vs nucleophiles, and why a curved arrow starts at the electron source what an ambident nucleophile is Includes a worked question and a pause-and-solve practice question. Chapters 0:00 Charged carbon centres 0:26 Radicals and shape 1:02 Electron flow 1:39 Worked question 2:23 Pause and solve Mentivora — Learn visually. Understand deeply. #OrganicChemistry #ReactionMechanism #ReactiveIntermediates