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This answer written by Jan says that "a professor of mine claimed to have drawn some 18 (or was it 80?) different resonance Lewis structures."

Please reproduce those resonance structures of the hydrogen molecule.

If nobody is able to come up with that many, the answer with the most resonance structures would be accepted.

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    $\begingroup$ Note to close-voters: if you think this is off-topic, I can edit it. $\endgroup$
    – DHMO
    Sep 4, 2016 at 1:17
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    $\begingroup$ I'm not sure if Jan's anecdote may have been a throwaway comment. Given the two electrons present its hard to imagine 4 combinations let alone 80. In any case. I like the challenge. May the odds be ever in your favour @Jan $\endgroup$
    – NotEvans.
    Sep 4, 2016 at 1:19
  • $\begingroup$ @NotWoodward considering the three regions created by a hydrogen molecule there are already 6: 2+0+0, 0+2+0 (the usual one), 0+0+2, 1+1+0, 1+0+1, 0+1+1. $\endgroup$
    – DHMO
    Sep 4, 2016 at 1:23
  • $\begingroup$ @Mithoron I did not mean to challenge Jan's professor? $\endgroup$
    – DHMO
    Sep 4, 2016 at 1:30
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    $\begingroup$ For reference: The professor in question was Professor Klapötke from the LMU Munich. $\endgroup$
    – Jan
    Sep 4, 2016 at 21:50

1 Answer 1

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This is a reference kick-starter contestant solution.

There are 6 resonance structures:

  • $\ce{H:H}$ (the usual one)
  • $\ce{:H- H+}$
  • $\ce{H+ H:^-}$
  • $\ce{*H*H}$
  • $\ce{H*H*}$
  • $\ce{*H H*}$
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    $\begingroup$ Don't forget this one: xkcd.com/1442 $\endgroup$ Nov 3, 2016 at 6:02
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    $\begingroup$ Come on, people. What's that even supposed to mean? Well, if we are just playing with dots, here are a few more: $\rm{\dot H\dot H}$, $\rm{H\ddot H}$, $\rm{\ddot HH}$, $\rm{\dot H\mathop{H}\limits_{.}}$. $\endgroup$ Nov 3, 2016 at 8:49

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