CAS CH 203 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Organic Chemistry, Lewis Structure, Linus Pauling
21 Feb 2014
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Document Summary
Resonance is a theory proposed by linus pauling to accurately depict molecules that could not be drawn with a single lewis structure. For example, consider the following acetate ion (chemical formula c2h3o2. Chemical testing shows these bonds are shorter than single bonds but long than double bonds; also, both oxygens have a slight negative charge. The answer, of course, lies in resonance structures. Resonance structures are a combination of different lewis structures that contribute to make a real hybrid molecule. In other words, two or more fake" lewis structures combine to make the real" picture. Don"t be fooled by the method of drawing resonance structures and multiple different figures: resonance structures do not actually exist! My chemistry teacher in high school described resonance as such: you want to show someone a unicorn. So instead you show them a horse and a rhinoceros and tell them a unicorn is a mixture of both.
