Delocalization

[Ashley Osorio]

How can we tell the difference between a structure with localized electrons versus delocalized electrons?

[Pablo 1K]

Perhaps when arrows are drawn in the molecule it is a good representation of when a stronger atom pulls on e- and delocalizes charge from an atom with a -1 on it.

[Kayli Choy 2F]

A structure has delocalized electrons when it has resonance structures. You can tell if a Lewis structure has resonance structures if a double bond can be placed in multiple different places without affecting the number of valence electrons the molecule must have.

[AprilPaz]

Resonance is the delocalization of electrons. Thus, if you have a structure with resonance, delocalization is occurring.

[KTran 1I]

Any structure that has resonance has delocalization and these bond lengths are in between that of single bonds and double bonds.

[Brandon Tao 1K]

Generally when there is resonance in the Lewis Structure there is also delocalization

[Samudrala_Vaishnavi 3A]

So, delocalization usually occurs with elements that have covalent bonds that can contribute to resonance. Certain lewis structures of the same compound or molecule are lower energy than others and we ideally want the lowest energy combination, which is explored with the concept of formal charge but with delocalization, it is referring how these different patterns are made: moving around the double bonds of electrons to different elements but without changing the central element.