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Topic: Cyclic molecules question  (Read 1924 times)

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Offline xtheunknown0

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Cyclic molecules question
« on: January 13, 2011, 07:11:53 PM »
My textbook says that "sometimes, as in the special case of benzene, three of the four outer-shell electrons from each carbon atom form normal covalent bonds but the fourth electron is shared (delocalised) around the six-membered carbon ring." It only has benzene represented by C's, H's and lines, with a circle and with three lines inside two hexagons with a double-headed arrow in between.

Can someone please show me how three of the four outer-shell electrons form normal covalent bonds?

TIA,
xtheunknown0

Offline Enthalpy

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Re: Cyclic molecules question
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2011, 07:40:01 PM »
One normal covalent bond with each neighbour atom, I'd say.
The last electron being more widely shared.

By the way, aromaticity isn't limited to six carbons, nor even to carbon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromaticity

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