Week5 Draft1

A single carbon bonded to four groups has eight electrons, a full octet. If one of the groups attatched to the carbon is a leaving group, and is capable of removing an electron from the carbon along with itself, a carbo-cation is formed. This carbo-cation will have six electrons. However, when the ectrons are taken by the carbon from one of the groups, this creates a carbo-anion, which will still have eight electrons attatched to itself. If electrons in one bond of the groups is split between the carbon and the leaving group, a free radical is formed. Free radicals that left the carbon leave the carbon with seven electrons.