Above is a $^1H$ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrum for benzyl alcohol. The hydrogen in the alcohol group gives rise to a unique signal. The two hydrogens in CH2 give rise to a unique signal with around twice the signal area. What I don't understand is why all hydrogens in the phenyl group are equivalent. My guess would have been there would be 3 signals from the phenyl ring. One pair of H that are equally distant from the methanol, another pair that is also equally distant, and last, a single hydrogen that is the furthest away from the methanol. Clearly this is not the case, and the 5 hydrogen give rise to a single signal only.

Why? What is a good way to think about equivalent and non-equivalent atoms in NMR spectrometry? I would rather avoid rules like the one that says "if you can substitute the hydrogen with another atom and it gives the same compound, the hydrogens are equivalent". I would rather like an intuitive way to think about it, if it's possible!

Below is a $\ce{^1H}$ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrum for benzyl alcohol. The hydrogen in the alcohol group gives rise to a unique signal. The two hydrogens in $\ce{CH2}$ give rise to a unique signal with around twice the signal area. What I don't understand is why all hydrogens in the phenyl group are equivalent. My guess would have been there would be 3 signals from the phenyl ring. One pair of $\ce{H}$ that are equally distant from the methanol, another pair that is also equally distant, and last, a single hydrogen that is the furthest away from the methanol. Clearly this is not the case, and the 5 hydrogen give rise to a single signal only.

Why? What is a good way to think about equivalent and non-equivalent atoms in NMR spectrometry? I would rather avoid rules like the one that says "if you can substitute the hydrogen with another atom and it gives the same compound, the hydrogens are equivalent". I would rather like an intuitive way to think about it, if it's possible!

Above is a $^1H$ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrum for benzyl alcohol. The hydrogen in the alcohol group gives rise to a unique signal. The two hydrogens in CH2 give rise to a unique signal with around twice the signal area. What I don't understand is why all hydrogens in the phenyl group are equivalent. My guess would have been there would be 3 signals from the phenyl ring. One pair of H that are equally distant from the methanol, another pair that is also equally distant, and last, a single hydrogen that is the furthest away from the methanol. Clearly this is not the case, and the 5 hydrogen give rise to a single signal only.

Why? What is a good way to think about equivalent and non-equivalent atoms in NMR spectrometry? I would rather avoid rules like the one that says "if you can substitute the hydrogen with another atom and it gives the same compound, the hydrogens are equivalent". I would rather like an intuitive way to think about it, if it's possible!

Above is a $^1H$ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrum for benzyl alcohol. The hydrogen in the alcohol group gives rise to a unique signal. The two hydrogens in CH2 give rise to a unique signal with around twice the signal area. What I don't understand is why all hydrogens in the phenyl group are equivalent. My guess would have been there would be 3 signals from the phenyl ring. One pair of H that are equally distant from the methanol, another pair that is also equally distant, and last, a single hydrogen that is the furthest away from the methanol. Clearly this is not the case, and the 5 hydrogen give rise to a single signal only.

Why? What is a good way to think about equivalent and non-equivalent atoms in NMR spectrometry? I would rather avoid rules like the one that says "if you can substitute the hydrogen with another atom and it gives the same compound, the hydrogens are equivalent". I would rather like an intuitive way to think about it, if it's possible!