What is the Difference Between Radical and Valency?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The key difference between radical and valency lies in their definitions and the properties they describe:
- Radical: A radical is a chemical species with an unpaired electron. It is highly reactive due to the unpaired electron and can participate in various chemical reactions. Radicals can be atoms or groups of atoms carrying some charge.
- Valency: Valency is a chemical concept that describes the ability of a chemical element to combine with another chemical element. It is often measured by the number of hydrogen atoms an element can displace or combine with. Valency is a property that helps in understanding the chemical behavior of elements and their bonding capabilities.
In summary, radical is a reactive chemical species with an unpaired electron, while valency is a concept that describes an element's ability to combine with another element. Radical and valency are not the same, as they represent different aspects of chemical behavior.
Comparative Table: Radical vs Valency
The main difference between radical and valency is that a radical is a chemical species with an unpaired electron, while valency is a chemical concept that describes the ability of a chemical element to combine with other elements or molecules. Here is a comparative table highlighting the differences between radical and valency:
| Feature | Radical | Valency |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A radical is a chemical species with an unpaired electron, which can be an atom, molecule, or ion. | Valency is the combining power of an element, measured by the number of hydrogen atoms it can displace or combine with. |
| Stability | Radicals are very reactive due to their unpaired electron and have a short lifetime. | Valency does not indicate the stability of a chemical element or compound. |
| Electron | Radicals have one unpaired electron in their outermost shell. | Valency describes the total number of electrons in the outermost shell of a chemical element. |
| Examples | - Hydroxyl radical (OH•) - Methyl radical (CH3•) |
- Hydrogen (valency of 1) - Oxygen (valency of 2) - Nitrogen (valency of 3) |
In summary, a radical is a chemical species with an unpaired electron, making it highly reactive, while valency is a concept that describes the combining power of a chemical element.
- Valency vs Valence Electrons
- Valency vs Charge
- Valency vs Oxidation Number
- Valency vs Oxidation State
- Electropositive vs Electronegative Radicals
- Primary vs Secondary Valency
- Electrovalency vs Covalency
- Acidic Radical vs Basic Radical
- Valence vs Core Electrons
- Radical vs Liberal
- Electrovalent vs Covalent Bond
- Moderate vs Radical
- Hypervalent vs Hypovalent Compounds
- Free Radical vs Ion
- Molecular Orbital Theory vs Valence Bond Theory
- Covalency vs Oxidation State
- Valence Shell vs Penultimate Shell
- Covalent vs Polar Covalent
- Free Radical Substitution vs Free Radical Addition