Which process describes breaking a covalent bond such that both electrons go to the same atom, often generating a carbocation or carbanion?

• A. Homolytic fission
• B. Addition reaction
• C. Heterolytic fission
• D. Hydrolysis

Answer: (C)

When a covalent bond breaks, the two shared electrons can be split in different ways. If both electrons stay with the same atom, the other atom becomes positively charged. This is heterolytic fission. It naturally leads to charged fragments, such as a carbocation (positively charged carbon) or a carbanion (negatively charged carbon), depending on which fragment keeps the electrons.

This contrasts with homolytic fission, where each atom takes one electron, producing neutral radicals. The other terms listed describe broader reaction types rather than the specific way the bond’s electrons are distributed on cleavage, so they don’t fit this description.