Chapter 15

How do the calculated bond orders for ethane, ethene, and ethyne compare to bond orders predicted by the Lewis structures?

Predict the \(\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{C}\) bond length for a molecule with a \(\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{C}\) bond order of \(1.5\).

How do the calculated bond orders for benzene compare to the bond orders predicted by the Lewis structure?

Experimentally, we find that all six \(\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{C}\) bonds in benzene have the same bond strength (or bond energy), \(509 \mathrm{~kJ} / \mathrm{mole}\). Is this fact more consistent with the bond orders predicted by the Lewis structure or with the calculated bond orders for benzene?