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We are taught in High school that aromatic compounds are highly stable. Why is that true?

Also, Why are Antiaromatic compounds highly unstable?

Aromatic compounds have 4n+2 (n is a whole number) electrons whereas anti-aromatic compounds have 4n electrons (n is a natural number)

The difference in number of electrons in aromatic and anti-aromatic compounds is just of two, right? So what role do those two electrons play in making the compound so stable?

Please explain in detail.

Zenix
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deezbugs
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    Whenever you read the term "something is stable" you should ask, stable with respect to what? Aromatic compounds are stable but with respect to what? If I say someone is tall, your natural question would be "compared with whom?" – AChem May 09 '20 at 14:59
  • @M.Farooq My bad! I wanted to ask, why are aromatic compounds more stable than non aromatic and anti aromatic compounds? – deezbugs May 09 '20 at 15:04
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    Still you will have to think, stable in terms of what? There is no such comparison. When you are talking about stability you would think that aromatic compounds are more stable towards chemical reactions as compared to alkenes. That is the proper way to think about it. Now you can read here https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Organic_Chemistry/Map%3A_Organic_Chemistry_(Bruice)/15%3A_Aromaticity_(Reactions_of_Benzene)/15.01%3A_Aromatic_Compounds_Are_Unusually_Stable – AChem May 09 '20 at 15:10
  • AFAIK electrons going to BMO/ABMO/NBMO determine there relative stability. – Zenix May 09 '20 at 15:12
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    LOL - When chemists see the phrase highly unstable they think explosive... – MaxW May 09 '20 at 21:04

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