Hybridization and Resonance Structures

[Neel Bonthala 2G]

Do all molecules with resonance structures have unhybridized molecules that contribute to delocalization of electrons? In the benzene example in lecture, each C in benzene had 3 hybridized orbitals, but then it had 1 unhybridized p orbital that contributed to its resonance. What exactly is the model for hybridized orbitals (like sp^3), and how is it graphed on the internuclear axis as compared to something we went over in lecture, like p orbitals?

[Stuti Pradhan 2J]

To answer the first part of your question, yes, all molecules with resonance have unhybridized molecules. Since resonance typically implies that there is a double bond, there must be an unhybridized molecule to create the pi bond.

In terms of hybridized orbitals, this site has a lot of diagrams that may better help visualize how hybridized orbitals compare to unhybridized orbitals.

https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/General_Chemistry/Map%3A_Chemistry_-_The_Central_Science_(Brown_et_al.)/09._Molecular_Geometry_and_Bonding_Theories/9.5%3A_Hybrid_Orbitals

Hope this helps!