Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Electrophilic Addition
Electrophilic addition is a fundamental reaction mechanism in organic chemistry where an electrophile reacts with a nucleophile, typically involving alkenes or alkynes. In this context, the electrophile (HI) adds to the sp2 carbon of the alkene (3,3,3-trifluoropropene), which is more substituted and has more hydrogen atoms, leading to the formation of more stable carbocation intermediates.
Recommended video:
Markovnikov's Rule
Markovnikov's Rule states that in the addition of HX to an alkene, the hydrogen atom from HX will attach to the carbon with the greater number of hydrogen atoms already attached. This rule helps predict the major product of the reaction, guiding the student to label the flask with 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-iodopropane as the major product due to the more favorable formation of a more stable carbocation.
Recommended video:
The 18 and 16 Electron Rule
Product Stability and Regioselectivity
Product stability and regioselectivity refer to the preference for the formation of certain products over others based on their stability. In this reaction, the product with the more substituted carbon (1,1,1-trifluoro-2-iodopropane) is favored due to its lower energy and greater stability compared to the less substituted product (1,1,1-trifluoro-3-iodopropane), which aligns with the student's friend's advice.
Recommended video:
Determining Carbocation Stability