In the initiation step, a halogen molecule is broken down into two halogen atoms.
(a) Give an equation to show this, using bromine as your example.
(b) What name is given to this type of bond breaking?
(c) Name two ways of providing sufficient energy for this reaction.
(d) What happens to the number of radicals present in a mixture of an alkane and a halogen during an initiation step?
(e) Explain why it is the halogen–halogen bond that breaks during the initiation stage, rather than a C—H bond in the alkane.