BRAINCAKEBond Breaking
When a covalent bond breaks, the two electrons in the shared pair can be shared out in two ways. This is called bond fission.
In homolytic fission, each atom takes one electron from the bond. This forms two free radicals. A free radical is a species with an unpaired electron, shown by a dot, for example Cl2 → 2Cl•. Homolytic fission usually needs energy from UV light or a high temperature.
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More in Organic Chemistry
- Molecular Formula
- Displayed Formula
- Structural Formula
- Skeletal FOrmula
- Nomenclature
- Functional Groups
- Homologous Series
- Structural Isomerism
All 17 lessons in Organic Chemistry · All AQA AS-level Chemistry topics