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Keith Kuykendall
Science Teacher
Tinley Park High School
6111 W. 175th Street,
Tinley Park, IL 60477
708-532-1900x3912 kkuykendall@bhsd228.com
Benzene is an important hydrocarbon for many reasons. The discovery of its structure is a fun story (extra credit for the first who tells it to class).
It consists of 6 carbons each bonded to 2 of each other by hybridized orbitals and each bonded to a single hydrogen. The carbons bond two each other in a flat hexagonal ring, with the hydrogens outside the ring.
This structure is highly symmetrical and this symmetry prevents any significan separation of charge from occuring. Benzene is therefore nonpolar and not attracted to electrically charged ions. Individual benzene atoms are not particularly attracted to each other either, the result being that benzene molecules freely intermingle with molecules of other nonpolar species.
See a 3D benzene molecule.
© 2004 by Keith Kuykendall. All rights reserved.