Explain how the following two compounds can have the same

Step 1 of 2

Consider the following two compounds, which can have the same conjugate base.

Note that the most acidic proton in each case is located on the \(s p^{3}\) hybridized ring carbon; vinylic protons are only weakly acidic. Abstraction of a proton from the \(s p^{3}\) ring carbon in either compound leads to an anion that is planar and cyclic. The anion conjugate base has overlapping \(p\) orbitals and a total of \(4 n+2\) ( 6 , in this case) \(\pi\) electrons. This meets the criteria for aromaticity, meaning that the conjugate base in each case is aromatic.