[sammmyx_]

What is the product of this curly arrow process?





I think it's the first one. Can anyone confirm?

Thanks!

[Hunter2]

No the charge must be still there, so which one can it only be?

[sammmyx_]

Well, the 4th one still has a charge on the hydrogen, would that be it?

[Hunter2]

No think logical. You add a positive charged Ion to a neutral molecule, what can only be the result.

[Arkcon]

Or to look at it another way, what was "pushed" by the curly arrow?  How did that change the H+ ion?  And what would happen next? To both molecules/atoms?  Try to show us which ones of the multiple guess options we can exclude.

[sammmyx_]

Oh! The third one!

[Hunter2]

Yes correct. But this molecule is very unstable. What will happen to it next. Where will be the positive charge will go?

[sammmyx_]

Well it wouldn't separate from the hydrogen, would it?

[Hunter2]

The positive charge is now at the Oxygen. There are two possibilties to make it more stable. Think about charge and double bond. Is  this stable? What try to do the bonds do in the molecule.

[Babcock_Hall]

I realize that I am coming to this problem late, but another way to approach this problem is to calculate the formal charge of the oxygen atom.