CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY

I understand that resonance is when a bond is a hybrid of a single and double, for example. However, I thought that the word "resonance" only applied when describing the bond type. Sometimes in class, Lavelle talks about Resonance "Structures". What is that exactly, if it is not referring to the bond?

Resonance structures are two forms of a molecule where the chemical connectivity is the same but the electrons are distributed differently around the structure.

The "structure" that we are talking about refers to all the possible Lewis structures that could be correct for and atom (the ones with low formal charge).

Resonance structures are just all of the possible Lewis structures that work for the atom when it has resonance, representing that the bonding of the resonance hybrid is an average of the resonance structure.

Resonance Structures are basically just a set that compares and contrasts two or more Lewis Structures that represent a molecule.

Resonance structures are all the possible lewis structures a molecule can have given its in the same position. In a resonance structure, all the bonds are the same length.

A resonance structure is when there are different forms of a molecule where all formal charges and bonds are the same but they are distributed around the structure differently. Meaning the different possible structures for the same molecule with the lowest formal charges distributed differently.

A resonance structure would be possible ways to draw the Lewis structure of a molecule which has resonance, multiple bonds can be drawn in different locations, the actual structure would be a blend of all the different structures.

Oh ok I see, thank you for helping!

The different forms of a molecule because there can be more than one

Resonance structure refers to the bonds in that there are different bond combinations that are possible as lewis structures, BUT none of them are correct. Because electrons move around and are not actually held in straight line bonds, structures intermediate to the ones shown as lewis structures are what they actually exist as, and that is the resonance structure that Lavelle is referring to.

According to the textbook, resonance is a blending of Lewis structures into a single composite, hybrid structure. Additionally, a resonance hybrid is the composite structure that results from resonance.

The resonance structure is referring to the structures that have electrons constantly shifting between atoms.