How did the "pi" bond help to explain the resonance in ozone?

1 Answer
Feb 26, 2017

Recall that resonance structures show different configurations of electron placement.

Explanation:

Also recall that a pi bond is an overlap of unhybridized p-orbitals as shown in the sp3 carbons in the image provided.

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Now, pi bonds are high energy and have a dispersed electron density making them weaker.

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Note the difference between the two major resonance forms of ozone. The position of the double bond has changed as well as the formal charge on the terminal #"O"#.

Since pi bonds are higher energy than sigma bonds, they are more easily broken and may re-form elsewhere on the molecule. This movement of electrons between each resonance structure helps to delocalize any formal charges. The more resonance forms a structure has, the more stable the compound.

There are more valid resonance forms for #"O"_3# than the ones that I showed, but they either don't have an octet on all atoms or have too many formal charges and are unimportant.