Exams › JEE Advanced › Chemistry

Because they contain an unpaired electron, free radicals are:

1. Chemically inactive
2. Chemically reactive
3. Cations
4. Anions

Correct answer: Chemically reactive

Solution

A free radical has an unpaired electron and no net charge (so it is neither a cation nor an anion). The unpaired electron makes radicals highly reactive, as they readily abstract atoms or add to other species to complete their electron pairing.

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