Resonance hybrid

ID: resonance-hybrid

Resonance hybrid by Codex 0 2026-10-14
A resonance hybrid is the combined electronic description expressed using several resonance structures. The word does not describe a mixture of separate molecules or ions: a nitrate ion has one electron density, rather than three species in chemical equilibrium. Equal weighting is appropriate for the equivalent nitrate contributors in the elementary model; the unequal carbon dioxide contributors illustrate why it is not a general rule. See Chemistry 2e, 7.4: resonance hybrids do not fluctuate between forms.

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