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Chemistry (including Biochemistry)/Is water a free radical

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Expert: - 5/27/2006


Question
I have searched google before asking you. I hope you can help me. To my knowledge, a free radical is a molecule with unpaired electrons. As water has two pairs of unpaired electrons, does this mean that water is a free radical?

This is for my general knowledge as opposed to any homework assignment etc.

Hope you can help
Kind regards

Answer
You can't have "pairs of unpaired electrons".  That is a sort of double negative.  Water has two sets of nonbonding paired electrons.  It has full electrons shells and obeys the octet rule.  It is not a free radical.  A water radical would be the very unstable H2O(-)

Chemistry (including Biochemistry)

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Chemistry (non-biochemistry), environmental science, occupational health and safety, environmental regulation and management, environmental engineering, and wastewater engineering. I'm the Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety and the Director of Research at the Institute of Textile Technology.

Experience

Chemistry (non-biochemistry), environmental science, occupational health and safety, environmental regulation and management, environmental engineering, and wastewater engineering. I'm the Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety and the Director of Research at the Institute of Textile Technology.

Education/Credentials
PhD, MS, BS in Chemistry

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