Properties of Benzene:

Benzene is a six membered ring with alternating double bonds. However, benzene does not act like similar alkenes, failing to brominate when Br2 is added. In fact, in reality benzene does not even consist of alternating double bonds. It is a resonance hybrid, with each bond having the character of one and a half bonds.
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	Benzene has the character of one and a half bonds
	Resonance for Bezene

For convenience benzene is drawn or perhaps more correctly as , with a hydrogen assumed to be at every carbon. Each carbon on benzene is sp2 hybridized, and thus benzene is planar, or completely flat. The following picture gives an orbital representation of benzene with each carbon having a p orbital and 3 sp2 orbitals. Electrons are delocalized throughout the pi, or p-orbital, system.

Nomenclature of Benzene:

Benzene is named with benzene as the base name. When it is a substituent, it is called a phenyl substituent. Often, phenyl groups are abbreviated ph, or .

Methyl Benzene	Triphenyl methanol

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