मराठी

Resonance

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Estimated time: 5 minutes
Maharashtra State Board: Class 12

Key Points: Resonance

Resonance occurs when a single Lewis structure cannot adequately represent the actual structure of a molecule — multiple valid Lewis structures (called canonical forms) can be drawn.

  • The actual molecule does not switch between these structures; it is a resonance hybrid — a weighted average of all canonical forms.

  • The energy of the resonance hybrid is always lower than the energy of any single canonical form (this energy difference is called resonance energy or resonance stabilisation energy).

  • All canonical forms must have: same positions of atoms, same number of paired and unpaired electrons, similar energy.

Classic examples:

  • CO₃²⁻ (carbonate ion): 3 equivalent resonance structures — each C − O bond is neither single nor double, but intermediate (~1.33 bond order)
  • Ozone (O₃): 2 resonance structures with bond length ~128 pm (intermediate between O − O single bond ~148 pm and O = O double bond ~121 pm)
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