1 - Reaction mechanisms Flashcards
What do mechanisms show?
The movement of electrons during a chemical reaction
What are the two ways to break a covalent bond?
- Homolytic fission
- Heterolytic fission
What is homolytic fission?
Where each atom gets one electron from the covalent bond
What is used to show homolytic fission?
A curly one headed arrow
What is formed when a covalent bond is broken by homolytic fission?
Two free radicals
What is a free radical?
A highly reactive species that has an unpaired electron
What is heterolytic fission?
Where one atom gets both electrons from a covalent bond
What is used to show heterolytic fission?
A curly two headed arrow
What is formed when a covalent bond is broken by heterolytic fission?
Ions
When using curly arrows, where does the arrow start?
From the centre of a bond or a lone pair of electrons
