A student is attempting to draw several resonance structures for a species. Which of the following is allowed?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Resonance structures involve the movement of electrons within a molecule, so changing the number of protons and neutrons is not allowed (A), and replacing an atom with its isotope would change the overall charge and identity of the species (C). Changing the number of paired and unpaired electrons (B) is also not allowed, as that would change the overall electron count and charge of the species. The only allowed option is to change the position of paired electrons (D), which can be done while maintaining the overall electron count and charge of the molecule.

A Student Is Attempting to Draw Several Resonance Structures for a Species