Lewis Structure vs. Resonance Structures [ENDORSED]

[706472636]

What's the distinction between a Lewis Structure and the Resonance Structures? Like are all Lewis structures a esonance structure or are all resonance structures a Lewis structure? How do we choose which one is the Lewis structure, and which ones are Resonance Structures?

[Griffin_Kunitz_1L]

Hi there!

A Lewis structure is the simplified structures we draw using dots as electrons and lines as bonding pairs. They are meant to visualize the makeup of a molecule. A resonance structure is a type of Lewis structure that we use to represent an alternative but still entirely possible/valid bonding order for a molecule. For example, if we drew the Lewis structure of NO₂, we would have 1 oxygen with a single bond and 1 with a double bond. All the resonance structure is is drawing out the same molecule's Lewis structure, but swapping which oxygen in this case has what bond. All resonance structures are Lewis structures but not all Lewis structures have resonance, or the ability to have other bond orders like NO₂

[Chem_Mod]

Resonance structures are shown using Lewis structures.

One can draw Lewis structures for salts, ions, molecules.

But only when a molecule has delocalized electrons is it called a resonance structure.