Resonance Definition

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Resonance Definition: Resonance is a method of describing the delocalized electrons in some molecules where the bonding cannot be explicitly expressed by a single Lewis structure.

Each individual Lewis structure is called a contributing structure of the target molecule or ion. Contributing structures are not isomers of the target molecule or ion since they only differ by the position of delocalized electrons.

Also Known As mesomerism

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Resonance Definition." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/definition-of-resonance-in-chemistry-605616. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 28). Resonance Definition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-resonance-in-chemistry-605616 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Resonance Definition." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-resonance-in-chemistry-605616 (accessed March 29, 2024).