The characters of ethylenic and acetylenic units in conjugated systems have been compared. The groups P-styryl and phenylethynyl have been treated as meta and para substituents in the Hammett relationship. As para substituents both accelerate the solvolysis of benzyl tosylates more than would be predicted by examination of their “normal” u- constants. The “normal” values, derived from the ionization constants of the benzoic acids ...