Rank the following anions from most to least stable, listing the most stable first.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The stability of anions is determined by their size and the extent of electronic delocalization. Smaller anions are generally more stable, as are those with more electron delocalization. In this case, anion III is the most stable because it is the smallest anion in the set and has a full octet with delocalized electrons. Anion II is less stable because it is larger and has less delocalization, while anion I is the least stable because it is the largest and has no delocalization. Therefore, the correct order of stability is III > II > I, which is option B.

Rank the Following Anions from Most to Least Stable, Listing