JCE Online Journal of Chemical EducationDivision of Chemical Education, American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical Society
 | Subscriptions  | Software Orders  | Support  | Contributors  | Advertisers  | 

JCE Print
   Current Issue
 Previous Issues
 Supplements
 Search JCE Index

JCE Digital Library
   ChemInfo
 DigiDemos
 Featured Molecules
 LivTexts
 LrnCom
 QBank
 SymMath
 WebWare

JCE Software
   Latest Releases
 Software & Video
 Downloads
 Support

Only@JCE Online
   JCE Online Store
 JCE HS CLIC
 JCE Discussion Forums
   Biographical Snapshots
 ChemEd Resource Shelf
 Featured Molecules
 Hal's Picks
 Project Chemlab
 Reviewed WWW Sites
 "Web-Ed" Articles

About JCE
   Features
 Publications
 Operations
 Outreach
 Contact Us


  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2006  > February  >
Chemistry for Everyone
If It's Resonance, What Is Resonating?
Robert C. Kerber
Department of Chemistry, State University of New York, Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3400
Cover
February 2006
Vol. 83 No. 2
p. 223
Abstract
The resonance terminology that accompanies use of more than one Lewis-type structure to describe delocalized bonding in molecules has been leading students astray for more than half a century. In this article I review the origin of the terminology and how the original usage has evolved to reduce confusion. I furthermore suggest that substitution of more easily understood terms that lack the gratuitous implications of the word resonance could finally eliminate the confusion.
More Information
*  Citation
 Kerber, Robert C. . J. Chem. Educ. 2006 83 223.
*  Keywords
 Aromatic Compounds; Covalent Bonding; First-Year Undergraduate / General; History / Philosophy; Misconceptions / Discrepant Events; Molecular Properties / Structure; Nomenclature / Units / Symbols; Organic Chemistry; Resonance Theory; Textbooks / Reference Books
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 1/5/2006
1/5/2006
<< Previous Article Table of Contents Next Article >>
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2006 > February > Page 223


Subscriptions
 Subscription Info
 Order Forms

JCE HS CLIC

Our Secondary School editors work hard to distill all the JCE materials to produce a fraction of particular interest to high school teachers. We call it CLIC.
 JCE HS CLIC

Contributions Welcome
JCE welcomes your submission
 Contributors' Corner

Advertisers
In recent years we have worked hard to better match our advertisers with our readers. When shopping for chemistry education materials, visit our advertisers' WWW sites first.
 Recent Advertisers

Be An Ambassador
Take JCE along on your outreach missions. Copies of the Journal, guest access to JCE Online, our publications catalog, and more are available for your participants.
 Outreach with JCE

Comments to
jceonline@chem.wisc.edu		 Copyright © Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society.
All rights reserved.