Which of the following species is/are a resonance form(s)of the species in the box?
A)I and II
B)I and III
C)III and IV
D)III
E)More than two of these choices are correct resonance forms.

Question

Which of the following species is/are a resonance form(s)of the species in the box? 
A)I and II 
B)I and III 
C)III and IV 
D)III 
E)More than two of these choices are correct resonance forms.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The species in the box has the following Lewis structure:

H
|
C - N

There are two valid resonance structures that can be drawn for this species:

I: H
   |
   C = N

II: H
     |
   C ≡ N

Structure III is not a resonance form because it violates the octet rule of the nitrogen atom, which cannot have more than eight electrons in its valence shell. Structure IV is not a resonance form because it does not correctly reflect the distribution of electrons in the original species. Therefore, the correct answer is choice B.

Which of the Following Species Is/are a Resonance Form(s)of the Species