Carbocation Stability (3° > 2° > 1° > methyl for alkyl; resonance-stabilized (allylic/benzylic) even higher)

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3° > 2° > 1° > methyl for alkyl; resonance-stabilized (allylic/benzylic) even higher

What each symbol means

SymbolWhat it stands for
+IAlkyl donation
resonanceπ delocalization
hyperconjugationα-H overlap

When to use this

Gas-phase vs solution can tweak orders slightly; exams use textbook organic trends.