In a free radical species such as the methyl radical (), what is the total number of electrons prese — Reaction Mechanism Chemistry Question
Question
In a free radical species such as the methyl radical ($\cdot CH_3$), what is the total number of electrons present in the valence shell of the central carbon atom?
Answer: 7
💡 Solution & Explanation
A free radical is generated via homolytic bond cleavage. It is an electron-deficient species containing an unpaired electron. In the methyl radical ($\cdot CH_3$), the carbon atom has 3 bonding pairs ($3 \times 2 = 6$ electrons) plus 1 unpaired electron, giving a total of 7 valence electrons.
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