Resonance structures and stability

[Melody Haratian 2J]

Hi everyone!
Can someone explain why resonance structures are usually more stable? I’ve been having some trouble understanding this.
Thanks!

[Massimo_Capozza_1G]

I think it's because the overall energy of a molecule is less. After all, its electrons are occupied in greater volumes. Basically, the electrons are more equally shared in a resonance structure; therefore, it has less energy. That was my understanding of resonance structures.

[Tessa House 3A]

Hi,
In resonance structures, electrons are delocalized, which makes them more stable. The electrons are also distributed more evenly, which means that the energy of the overall molecule is lower and it is more stable. Therefore, resonance structures are more stable than if there was no resonance.

[Saumya Tawakley 1E]

In resonance structures electrons are distributed around the molecule depending on how many electrons each atom wants. This allows for more stability of the molecule since the electrons are not in a higher density in one area compared to another, and a higher stability also translates to having an overall lower energy.

[Jaden Haskins 2E]

I believe that it is also important to note that the resonance structures we draw are not a depiction of what the compound actually looks like, since the bond lengths are not specific lengths (for example, some singles and a double) but rather each bond is a length in between those two.