Implicit H
Each ring carbon carries one hydrogen.
Skeletal drawings suppress many carbon and hydrogen labels.
Molecular compound · aromatic hydrocarbon
Benzene
C₆H₆
Benzene is C₆H₆, a planar six-membered aromatic ring. Its six π electrons are delocalized around the ring, so benzene is not accurately described as three permanently localized C=C bonds.
Drawing rule: the ring circle is a shorthand for delocalization, not a physical circular bond.
Essentials
The first idea is a six-carbon aromatic ring with delocalized π electrons.
A hexagon with a circle avoids choosing three permanent double bonds.
Detail
The source-derived skeletal structure encodes the same aromatic connectivity.
Chemistry software can draw alternating bonds or aromatic bonds; these represent one delocalized molecule.
Resonance
Kekulé drawings are contributors, not switching molecules.
The measured ring has equivalent C–C bonds.
Understand
Aromaticity changes benzene's preferred reaction patterns.
Reactions that preserve or restore aromaticity are often favored over additions that permanently destroy the aromatic system.
Substitution
Electrophilic aromatic substitution replaces a ring H while restoring aromaticity.
The detailed mechanism depends on reagent.
Reference identifiers
Names and identifiers that pin down the chemical identity.
| Formula | C₆H₆ |
|---|---|
| CAS Registry Number | 71-43-2 |
| PubChem CID | 241 |
Advanced
Push past the first model without losing the simple picture.
Are all six C–C bonds equivalent?
Yes, within benzene symmetry they are equivalent.
Is the ring circle literal?
No. It is a graphical shorthand for delocalized π electron density.
Does aromatic mean 'smells aromatic'?
No. Aromaticity is an electronic-structure concept.
Constituent elements