Electron Count Determines Reactivity in CH3 Species

Steps:

• Carbon has 4 valence electrons; in CH3, bonds with 3 H atoms contribute 3 more electrons to carbon's outer shell.
• For electrophile (CH3+), carbon has 6 electrons (deficient octet, positive charge).
• For free radical (CH3•), carbon has 7 electrons (one unpaired electron).
• For nucleophile (CH3-), carbon has 8 electrons (full octet with lone pair, negative charge).

Why A is correct:

• Matches definitions: electrophiles are electron-poor (6 e-), radicals have odd electrons (7 e-), nucleophiles are electron-rich (8 e-), per Lewis acid-base theory.

Why the others are wrong:

• B: Swaps radical and nucleophile electrons, ignoring nucleophiles need full octet.
• C: Reverses electrophile and radical, contradicting electron deficiency for electrophiles.
• D: Inverts all, mismatching standard reactivity roles.

Final answer: A