Can you consider a benzene ring to also be an alkene?

[kathyt.25]

Can you consider a benzene ring to also be an alkene? As in, there are double bonds within the benzene ring.

 

[queenofbabes]

Aromatic rings (including benzene) are considered a separate functional group from alkenes. Benzene rings aren't really made of double bonds alternating with single bonds, although at this stage you may still be drawing them this way. If you're interested, read ahead or wiki or just ask if you don't understand what you find =)

 

[Wax]

Benzene is Benzene!

 

[Ygggdrasil]

I would not consider benzene to be an alkene because it's chemical reactivity differs significantly from the reactivity of alkenes. For example, a classic chemical reaction involving alkenes is an addition reaction with elemental bromine. Benzene will not undergo this reaction and many other reactions characteristic of alkenes (e.g. catalytic hydrogenation, epoxidation, etc.).

As noted by queenofbabes, this difference in chemical reactivity is due to the fact that benzen's electronic structure (i.e. it's molecular orbitals) is very much different than the electronic structure of typical alkenes.