What is the formal electrical charge on the carbon atom in the reactive intermediate generated when — GOC and Organic Chemistry Basics Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Homolytic cleavage results in the equal sharing of the bonding electron pair, giving one electron to the methyl group and one to the chlorine atom. This forms a methyl free radical ($CH_3^\bullet$), which is an electrically neutral species with a formal charge of 0.