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Resonance Structures and Molecular Formulas

Resonance structures of the same molecule must have: 1) the same molecular formula, 2) the same total number of electrons, and 3) the same atoms connected together, though the connections can differ in being single, double, or triple bonds. Rules for identifying resonance structures include that the structures are imaginary and represent electron delocalization, nuclei do not move between structures, the octet rule cannot be violated, and more stable contributing structures contribute more to the overall hybrid structure.

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Leeya Lee
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6 views1 page

Resonance Structures and Molecular Formulas

Resonance structures of the same molecule must have: 1) the same molecular formula, 2) the same total number of electrons, and 3) the same atoms connected together, though the connections can differ in being single, double, or triple bonds. Rules for identifying resonance structures include that the structures are imaginary and represent electron delocalization, nuclei do not move between structures, the octet rule cannot be violated, and more stable contributing structures contribute more to the overall hybrid structure.

Uploaded by

Leeya Lee
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Because resonance structures are the same molecules, they must have:

1) The same molecular formulas.


2) The same total number of electrons (same overall charge).
3) The same atoms connected together. Although, they can differ in whether the
connections are single, double or triple bonds.

Rules for Resonance

1. Resonance forms are imaginary. The real structure is a composite (hybrid) of the forms we imagine.

2. Don't move nuclei (only electrons "move").

3. Octet rule should not be violated (no more than 4 electron pairs).

4. Formal charge follows normal rules. Hint: the total formal charge will always be the same.

5. The more contributing structures, the more stable (but contributing forms need not be equally stable).

6. The more stable a contributing structure is, the more it contributes to the overall picture. The less stable it is, the less it contributes.

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