Here’s a clear explanation of the three stages of a radical chain reaction without using any chemical equations:
- Initiation
- This is the starting step where stable molecules are broken apart to form highly reactive radicals.
- Energy from heat, light, or a chemical initiator is needed to create these radicals.
- Propagation
- In this stage, the radicals react with stable molecules to produce new radicals.
- This allows the reaction to continue and sustain itself, as radicals are continuously regenerated.
- Termination
- Here, radicals combine with each other, which removes them from the reaction.
- This slows down and eventually stops the chain reaction because there are no more radicals to keep it going.
In short: Initiation starts the radicals, Propagation keeps the reaction going, and Termination stops it.