The Intuition First
Imagine you have a double bond between two carbon atoms. That double bond is like a crowded room — it has a lot of electron density, and it's looking for something to react with. When you add H–X (like HCl, HBr, or water in acid), the molecule splits into H⁺ and X⁻. The question is: which carbon gets the H⁺, and which gets the X⁻?
If the alkene is symmetrical — say, ethene — it doesn't matter. Both carbons are identical. But if the alkene is unsymmetrical — like propene, where one carbon has two hydrogens and the other has one hydrogen plus a methyl group — then the two carbons are different. Which one gets the hydrogen?
The answer comes from stability. The reaction goes through a carbocation intermediate — a carbon with a positive charge. That carbocation is unstable and wants to be as stable as possible. So the H⁺ will add to the carbon that leads to the more stable carbocation.
Carbocation stability order: tertiary > secondary > primary > methyl. More alkyl groups attached to the positive carbon stabilise it by hyperconjugation and inductive effect.
The Precise Statement
Markovnikov's Rule (formally, Vladimir Markovnikov, 1870) states:
In the addition of a protic acid HX to an unsymmetrical alkene, the hydrogen atom adds to the carbon of the double bond that already has the greater number of hydrogen atoms.
That is: "the rich get richer" — the carbon with more hydrogens gets one more hydrogen.
Why It Works — The Mechanism
Take propene (CHX3−CH=CHX2) and add HBr.
The double bond has two carbons:
- Carbon 1 (terminal): has 2 hydrogens
- Carbon 2 (internal): has 1 hydrogen
The H⁺ can add to either carbon. If it adds to carbon 1, you get a secondary carbocation (the positive charge is on carbon 2, which is attached to one methyl and one hydrogen). If it adds to carbon 2, you get a primary carbocation (positive charge on carbon 1, attached to two hydrogens and one methyl).
The secondary carbocation is more stable. So the H⁺ adds to carbon 1 — the one with more hydrogens — giving the secondary carbocation. Then Br⁻ attacks the positive carbon, giving 2-bromopropane as the major product.
The rule is a consequence of carbocation stability, not a separate law. If you ever forget the rule, just ask: "Which carbocation is more stable?"
The Product
For propene + HBr:
- Major product: CHX3−CHBr−CHX3 (2-bromopropane)
- Minor product: CHX3−CHX2−CHX2Br (1-bromopropane) …