Can someone tell me if this makes any sense or if I need to start over. I am not sure if it even answers the question.
Why is the benzene molecule represented as “a flat cyclohexane with a ring inside?”
The benzene molecule is represented as “a flat cyclohexane with a ring inside” because it is easier to display this way on paper even though it does not actually look like this. Displaying it this way helps to show the carbon atoms are not connected by alternating single and double bonds, but are connected by delocalized double bonds (or electrons are available to all of the carbon atoms at the same time); making the benzene molecule stable. In Benzene all carbon to carbon atoms are the same length (greater than a double bond but shorter than a single). By being delocalized the electrons are freely associated with all six of the carbon atoms in the ring (there are not enough to form double bonds). With this the atoms can equally strength the bonds in the ring equally.
That is as good as it gets.
Your explanation of why the benzene molecule is represented as "a flat cyclohexane with a ring inside" seems to be mostly correct. However, if you want to ensure that your explanation fully answers the question, you can make a few adjustments.
The benzene molecule is indeed represented as "a flat cyclohexane with a ring inside" for simplicity in visual representation, although its actual shape is different. This representation helps convey the concept of the delocalized double bonds within the molecule. Instead of having alternating single and double bonds between carbon atoms, benzene has six delocalized electrons that are spread out over the entire ring structure. This delocalization makes the benzene molecule stable and gives it unique properties.
By representing benzene as a flat cyclohexane with a ring inside, we can visually demonstrate that all carbon-carbon bonds in benzene are the same length, intermediate between a double bond and a single bond. The delocalized electrons are shared among all six carbon atoms in the ring, rather than being confined to certain pairs of atoms as in traditional double bonds. This delocalization and equal sharing of electron density strengthens the bonds between the carbon atoms, making them more stable.
In summary, the representation of benzene as "a flat cyclohexane with a ring inside" helps illustrate the concept of delocalized double bonds and the stability of the benzene molecule.