A resonance structure, like the one above, represents a. a hybrid of the extremes represented by the resonance forms. b. a difference in energy. c. a difference in bond length, one shorter than the other. d. electron pairs resonating back and forth between the extremes of the two structures.
Chemistry · High School · Thu Feb 04 2021
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a. a hybrid of the extremes represented by the resonance forms.
The concept of resonance in chemistry describes a situation where a molecule or ion can be best represented by two or more valid Lewis structures (resonance forms or contributors) that have the same number of electrons but different arrangements of electrons. Resonance structures themselves are not real, independent entities; rather, the true structure is an average or hybrid of all the resonance forms. This hybrid reflects the overall delocalization of electrons within the molecule. No electrons are physically "resonating back and forth"; it is simply a way of describing the electron distribution.