Draw Resonance Arrows

Resonance arrows (curved arrows between resonance structures) show how electrons move to convert one resonance form to another. They represent the redistribution of pi electrons and lone pairs, not actual chemical reactions.

Move only electrons (lone pairs and pi bonds), never atoms. Common patterns: lone pair into adjacent bond, pi bond to adjacent lone pair, pi bond to adjacent pi bond. Never break sigma bonds. Each arrow represents movement of an electron pair.

Three main patterns: (1) lone pair pushes into an adjacent pi bond, (2) pi bond breaks with electrons going to one atom as a lone pair, (3) pi bond shifts along a conjugated system. Combinations of these create all resonance structures.

Resonance arrows convert between equivalent representations of the same molecule — no bonds are really breaking or forming. Mechanism arrows show actual chemical transformations where bonds break and form during a reaction.