Highly reactive ions with unpaired electrons in the outer shell are called:

Highly reactive ions with unpaired electrons in the outer shell are called:

• A. Electrified
• B. Radiolytic
• C. Hydrogen peroxide
• D. Free radicals

Answer: (D)

Free radicals are atoms or molecules that contain an unpaired electron in their outer shell. That unpaired electron makes them highly reactive because they easily seek to pair that electron by reacting with nearby substances. In radiography, radiation can split molecules of water and other compounds, generating reactive species like hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen atoms—these are classic examples of free radicals. The term describes the reactive class itself, not a general process or a specific molecule. The other options don’t name this reactive group: electrified isn’t a standard term for these species, radiolytic describes the process that forms radicals rather than the species, and hydrogen peroxide is simply a particular molecule, not the reactive class.

Free radicals are atoms or molecules that contain an unpaired electron in their outer shell. That unpaired electron makes them highly reactive because they easily seek to pair that electron by reacting with nearby substances. In radiography, radiation can split molecules of water and other compounds, generating reactive species like hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen atoms—these are classic examples of free radicals. The term describes the reactive class itself, not a general process or a specific molecule. The other options don’t name this reactive group: electrified isn’t a standard term for these species, radiolytic describes the process that forms radicals rather than the species, and hydrogen peroxide is simply a particular molecule, not the reactive class.