Final answer:
A carbocation will rearrange if a more stable configuration can be achieved, usually through a hydride or alkyl shift, making the formation of tertiary carbocations more favorable due to their stability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question 'Will the following carbocation rearrange?' relates to the subject of organic chemistry and specifically to the stability and rearrangement of carbocations. A carbocation will tend to rearrange if there is a more stable carbocation that can be formed. The stability of carbocations increases in the order: primary (RCH₂) < secondary (R₂CH) < tertiary (R₃C). If a given carbocation can form a more stable tertiary carbocation through a rearrangement, such as a hydride or alkyl shift, it will typically do so. For example, if a reaction involves a secondary carbocation adjacent to a tertiary carbon, there's a high likelihood that the carbocation will rearrange to the more stable tertiary position. In the context of tertiary alkyl halides substitutions and allylic phosphates, this is a common mechanism where a carbon atom bonded to a leaving group forms a carbocation, which can then rearrange if a more stable carbocation can be formed.