Question #10
2006
📝 Question
The homolytic fission of a hydrocarbon results in the formation of:
❓ Options
A
Carbanion
B
Free radicals
✓ Correct Answer
C
Carbonium ion
D
Carbenes
💡 Explanation
- Homolytic fission of a bond results in the formation of free radicals.
- Carbanions, carbonium ions, and carbenes are formed through different processes.
📌 Key Points:
Note:
Homolytic fission is a type of chemical bond breaking where a bond between two atoms splits evenly.
- In this process, each atom takes one of the two shared electrons from the bond.
- As a result, two atoms (or groups) become free radicals, which are atoms or molecules with an unpaired electron.
- This kind of bond breaking usually happens under conditions like high temperature or the presence of UV light.
For example, if a molecule of chlorine (Cl₂) undergoes homolytic fission, it splits into two chlorine atoms, each with one unpaired electron:
Cl₂ → Cl• + Cl•
Homolytic fission is common in reactions involving free radicals.