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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: NewtoAtoms on May 24, 2008, 12:48:15 AM

Title: CN stability on comets
Post by: NewtoAtoms on May 24, 2008, 12:48:15 AM

Hello,

any idea why CN is stable on comets, whereas it is unstable on earth (due to missing e-)

Thank you

Title: Re: CN stability on comets
Post by: Astrokel on May 24, 2008, 01:30:36 AM

Perhaps comets have inert environment such that CN radicals(which is extremely reactive) are unable to react. Could be wrong though  :P

Title: Re: CN stability on comets
Post by: Borek on May 24, 2008, 04:31:48 AM

Question is - is it radical or anion, or HCN molecule, and reports simply refer to CN bond discovered by spectrocopy?