2. Benzene
Benzene is a hydrocarbon with 6 carbon atoms and 6 hydrogen atoms
The carbon atoms form a ring with 1 hydrogen atom bonded to each carbon atom
Because there is only 1 hydrogen atom for every carbon atom, every other bond in
the carbon ring is a double bond.
Benzene has a resonance structure. This is when one Lewis structure cannot
represent the bonding. The bonding could be drawn in more than one way.
3. Benzene cont.
Benzene has a trigonal planar molecular geometry.
Its line structure is different from others to show the
resonance benzene has.
5. Benzene is the parent compound of a group known as aromatic
compounds.
Shown to the right is one such aromatic compound.
This compound is trinitrotoluene, or more commonly known as
TNT.
6. Summary
The most important thing I have learned was the concept of
resonance and how bonds don’t have to be in a fixed
location in a Lewis structure.
