Question

Diels-Alder reactions of anthracene take place only at the center ring. Use the resonance

energies provided in the introduction to the experiment to explain why reaction occurs only
at the center ring. Your answer should include calculations of resonance energies for the
Diels-Alder reactions at the different rings of anthracene, as well as a brief discussion of
what these numbers mean.

Answer 1

Resonance energies explain why Diels-Alder reactions of anthracene occur only at the center ring. The higher resonance energy at the center ring makes it more reactive, while the other rings have lower resonance energies and are less reactive.

Step-by-step explanation:

Resonance energies can be used to explain why Diels-Alder reactions of anthracene only occur at the center ring. The resonance energy is a measure of the stability of a molecule or ion by the resonance effect. In the case of anthracene, the resonance energy is highest for the center ring, making it the most stable and favorable for reaction.

To calculate the resonance energies for the Diels-Alder reactions at the different rings of anthracene, we would need specific values for each ring. However, in general, the center ring of anthracene has the highest resonance energy due to the greater number of delocalized electrons in that ring.

The higher resonance energy at the center ring means that the center ring is more reactive and more likely to undergo the Diels-Alder reaction. The other rings of anthracene have lower resonance energies and are less reactive in comparison.