Philosophy Now Forum

In organic chemistry we have benzene with six carbon atoms in a hexagonal arrangement. The bonding between the carbon atoms is described as a cross between single and double bonds. Those double bonds are said to alternate between the atoms so that theoretically three of the atoms have double bonds and three of the atoms have single bonds and then in the next moment where you have a double bond, it shifts to a single bond and where you have a single bond, it shifts to a double bond and it keeps shifting back and forth like this (called resonance).

The next step, according to quantum chemistry, is that the single and double bonds combine into a new bond which is neither a single nor double bond, but something in between. In the textbooks benzene is represented as a hexagon with a circle inside. My question is this: since the new bond is neither single nor double, then precisely what is it? 1.5 bonds? How can you make sense of it?

Here is an article'

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzene

PhilX

It may help your understanding to say this is theoretical. Since science is fluid, we may get a different story tomorrow.

PhilX