what term matches this description?

two or more valid electron dot formulas that can be written for the same molecule.

what is resonance?

thanks.. what about the weakest attractions that exist between molecule. i had resonance for that

induced dipole-induced dipole. Also known as temporary dipole-induced dipole. Also called London dispersion forces. Also called dispersion forces. I find that many texts don't differentiate between these and van der Waals forces very well.

The term that matches the description "two or more valid electron dot formulas that can be written for the same molecule" is resonance.

Resonance occurs when multiple valid Lewis dot structures or electron dot formulas can be written for a molecule by shifting the position of the double or triple bond and reassigning the placement of lone pairs of electrons. It is used to describe the nature of certain molecules or polyatomic ions that cannot be accurately represented by a single Lewis structure.

Resonance structures do not indicate the actual flipping or alternating between bond positions, but rather represent the combined electron distribution of all possible resonance forms. The actual electronic structure of the molecule is often considered as a hybrid or a combination of these resonance structures.

Now, moving on to the weakest attractions between molecules, the term you mentioned, "resonance," is not applicable in this context. The weakest attractions between molecules are known as London dispersion forces, also called dispersion forces or van der Waals forces.

London dispersion forces are temporary attractive forces that arise due to the fluctuations of electron distribution within molecules. They occur between all molecules, regardless of whether the molecules are polar or nonpolar. These forces result in the formation of temporary dipoles, induced by the shifting electron distribution.

To be more precise, London dispersion forces are a type of van der Waals forces, which also include dipole-dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding. However, van der Waals forces as a term is sometimes used interchangeably with London dispersion forces or dispersion forces.

It is worth noting that while London dispersion forces are the weakest of the intermolecular forces, they can still exert a significant influence on the physical properties of substances, such as boiling points, melting points, and viscosity.