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CHEM 121 Studioby Learn4Less · UBC CHEM 121

CHEM 121 glossary

Radical

A species with an odd number of valence electrons, so one electron is unpaired and some atom falls short of an octet. Radicals are usually very reactive.

NO
NO\ce{NO} (11 e⁻): the unpaired electron sits on N.

Example

The hydroxyl radical, OH\ce{OH} (neutral), has 6+1=76 + 1 = 7 valence electrons, leaving O with 7 and one unpaired electron.

See alsoIncomplete octetOctet ruleParamagnetic