What does ‘aromatic’ mean?

In A Level Chemistry, the word aromatic means a molecule’s structure contains at least one cyclic ring which has a delocalised pi electron cloud above and below it. This occurs from unbonded P orbital electrons becoming delocalised from their (usually carbon) atom and being spread across the whole ring structure, which stabilises the molecule. Drawing the molecule in this way is known as its resonance structure.

SL

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

Phosphorus is burned in air at 500 ºC to produce gaseous phosphorus(V) oxide. 220 g of phosphorus was reacted with an excess of air. Calculate the volume, in m3, of gaseous phosphorus(V) oxide produced


Explain the principle behind chemically reactive and inert molecules


Explain why sulfur deviates from the general trend in ionisation energies across period 3.


What is entropy?