Chemistry
(a) What are free radicals ?
(b) How are they formed ?
(c) Why are free radicals unstable ?
(d) Give an example of free radical formation.
Chemical Bonding
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Answer
(a) Free radicals are neutral species with unpaired electrons making them unstable, short lived and highly reactive.
(b) During homolytic bond fission, each atom retains one electron from the original covalent bond, resulting in two neutral species with unpaired electrons. These neutral species are called free radicals.
(c) Free radicals are unstable because they have an unpaired electron. Atoms tend to become stable by having paired electrons, so free radicals quickly react with other substances to gain stability.
(d) Breaking or cleavage of the covalent bond in chlorine occurs by ultraviolet (UV) radiation which splits chlorine (Cl2) molecule into two chlorine radicals (Cl●).
An example of free radical formation is :
Cl2 ⟶ Cl ● + Cl ●
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