Question detail
When drawing a mechanism for an electrophilic addition reaction, what do the curly arrows indicate?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
MCQ
Type
practice
Style
Topic
Introduction to organic chemistry
Question
- A. The direction of the reaction
- B. The movement of electrons
- C. The stability of the product
- D. The temperature of the reaction
Answer
The movement of electrons
Explanation
In electrophilic addition reactions, curly arrows represent the movement of electrons from the nucleophile to the electrophile, demonstrating how new bonds are formed.
Common mistake
Misunderstanding Curly Arrows
Students often forget to show the correct starting point for curly arrows, leading to incorrect electron movement representation.
Always start curly arrows from the electron pair or lone pair and point them towards the atom or bond they are moving to. For example, in a nucleophilic attack, the arrow should start from the nucleophile's lone pair and point to the electrophile's positive center.
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