At the quantum mechanical level, hyperconjugation responsible for stabilizing a carbocation intermed — GOC and Organic Chemistry Basics Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

In a carbocation, the central carbon is $sp^2$ hybridized and possesses a completely empty, unhybridized 2p orbital. Hyperconjugation occurs when the electron density from an adjacent, parallel $sp^3$ C-H $\sigma$ -bond delocalizes laterally into this empty p-orbital, partially neutralizing the positive charge.