Resonance in chemistry is a tool used (predominately in organic chemistry) to represent certain types of molecular structures.

Resonance is a key component of valence bond theory and arises when no single conventional model using only single, double or triple bonds can account for all the observed properties of the molecule.

Lewis dot diagrams often cannot represent the true electronic structure of a molecule.

While one can only show single, double or triple covalent bonds using these diagrams, one finds that the observed molecule does not match either of these structures but rather has properties in some sense intermediate to these.

Resonance structures are then employed to approximate the true electronic structure.

For more information about the topic Resonance (chemistry), read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Lewis structure in chemistry — Lewis structures, also called electron-dot structures or electron-dot diagrams, are diagrams that show the bonding between atoms of a molecule, and ...  > read more

Chemical bond — A chemical bond is the physical phenomenon of chemical substances being held together by attraction of atoms to each other through sharing, as well ...  > read more

Peptide bond — A peptide bond is a chemical bond formed between two molecules when the carboxyl group of one molecule reacts with the amino group of the other ...  > read more

Molecule — In general, a molecule is the smallest particle of a pure chemical substance that still retains its composition and chemical properties. In chemistry ...  > read more

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